Lake Pavin History, geology, biogeochemistry, and sedimentology of a deep meromictic maar lake

13

Touchart 2002 ). He does not measure dissolved oxygen , a
part of Léman: this new approach initiated by Gérardin in the
Seine basin (1875) is used in this period for rivers suspected
to be polluted. Delebecque does not focus on bottom waters –
limnologists have not yet found that few lakes can be anoxic.
At Pavin, he does not record any abnormality, except for the

peculiar smell from bottom sediments, and completely

misses the absence of 0 2 in the bottom waters, the meromixis

which will be “discovered” 60 years later.

Delebecque’s work on Pavin appears to be complemen-

tary to the hydrobiological studies performed by Berthoule,

then by the Clermont team. His master work on French lakes

Fig. 1.5 Some of the pionnier limnological works at Pavin (Eusebio and Reynouard 1925 ). (a) First bathymetric map of Pavin by Delebecque
(1898). (b) First representation of Pavin thermal structure. ( c ) Vertical “bionomic ” structure of Pavin (author's collection)

1 Scientists at Pavin