Inland lakes play a critical role in ecosystem stability, and robust validation of lake models is essential for understanding their dynamics. While remote sensing data can assist with lake surface temperature validation, in situ data typically provides more accurate, reliable data not limited to only the lake surface. However, in situ temperature data for many individual lakes, particularly in North America, is difficult for researchers to quickly access in a standardized format. This database offers a well-organized collection of in situ near-surface and subsurface temperatures from 134 sites divided among 29 large North American inland lakes collected from a variety of sources. The database includes multiple subsurface temperatures throughout the depth profile of 84 of these sites, providing comprehensive data for lake model evaluation. All lakes selected for this database are large enough (over approximately 30 km^2 to be represented by large-scale operational weather models, supporting robust lake model validation efforts on the lakes that have the greatest impact on climatology.
Sorensen, T., Espey, E., Kelley, J.G.W. et al. A database of in situ water temperatures for large inland lakes across the coterminous United States. Sci Data 11, 282 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-024-03103-8
