Tómélység

Tómélység is not a standard term in Hungarian. In most sources the word for depth is mélység, and the specific depth of a lake is usually given as tómélység. The form tómélység may be a misspelling or a rare variant of tómélység, and it is not commonly used in scientific or cartographic practice.

If interpreted as tómélység, the term denotes the vertical distance from a lake’s surface to its bottom. Lake depth varies across a basin and over time due to sedimentation, water level fluctuations, inflows and climatic effects. Depth is described by parameters such as maximum depth, mean depth, and the overall depth distribution, which are often visualized in bathymetric maps and cross-sections.

Measurement of lake depth is typically carried out with bathymetric surveys using sonar or echosounding equipment mounted on boats, sometimes supplemented by manual depth measurements. The resulting depth data inform ecological studies, shoreline and water-resource management, sediment transport analyses, and navigation planning. Depth profiles contribute to understanding thermal stratification, habitat zones, and the distribution of aquatic organisms.

In everyday language, mélység can also carry metaphorical meanings related to the depth of meaning or complexity. However, the unstandardized form tómélység has no established technical sense in Hungarian. When precision is required, it is advisable to use tómélység for lake depth or mélység for depth in general.