Salsvatn,a lake with old sea water

Salsvatn is a 464 m deep lake laying 16 m above sea level in North Trøndelag, Norway. The lake was isolated from the sea some 3,000 years ago. It is assumed that salt-water in the deepest 50 m of the lake is the remain of sea water being trapped in the lake at this time. The concentration of cloride in the salt-water layer corresponds to a salinity of 29‰ in ordinary sea water. Hydrography of the lake and changes in some components of the salt water compared with ordinary sea water are discussed. Comparison is made with changes in the stagnant layers of the Black Sea and Lake Rørholtjorden. The latest is another lake with old sea-water at its bottom. Surface sediment samples have been collected from the freshwater and salt-water layers in Lake Rørholtfjorden and from the salt-water layer of Lake Salsvatn. Some chemical components of the sediments and interstitial water have been analysed and discussed.