NASA and National Science Foundation-funded study indicate that climate change is threatening freshwater supplies and ecosystems by continuously warming lakes around the world.  Data taken from satellites and ground activities shows that the temperature of 235 lakes around the globe has dramatically changed over the past 25 years. 

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"What we wanted to do was see how lakes were changing over the entire globe and look at what variations there were in the warming rates across the globe but also how much variation there was between lakes that were close together,"said Science Division Manager Sam Hook of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. 

He added that lakes are getting warmer and warmer at an average of 0.61 degrees Fahrenheit (0.34 degrees Celcius) per decade. Less cloud covers also affect the lake's temperature as it exposes the area to direct sunlight.

Hook stressed that "It could be a reflection of there being less cloud cover, it could be a consequence of more glacial melt water coming into the lake. All these different processes taking place and they integrate them and they warm more gradually, but the consequences of that warming can be very serious." 

The higher lake temperatures can damage the ecosystems around the lake as it may deal great impact to the survival of the fish and other living things in the body of water.

Scientists explain that helping to decrease pollution can help slow down global warming that affects the temperature changes in lakes.

Hook explained, "If we looked at these warming rates, a project of what would happen in the next century then what we would see is that algal blooms would go up by about 20 percent, this is the green algae that you see in the lakes, often times in the summer and some of that green algae that is added, some of it contains harmful toxins and so what it can do is, it puts restrictions on people going out on the water or using the water for drinking purposes and things like that. So, there are real consequences to the actual lake ecosystem."  

Tagslake, global warming, NASA, World Lakes Temperature Rising