Hypotheses regarding the distribution, texture and trace element concentrations of lake sediments were tested by empirical analyses of multi-lake data sets (52 to 83 lakes). Sediment distribution was best characterized by the deposition boundary depth (DBD), the abrupt transition from coarse- to fine-grained sediments. The DBD can now be predicted from either empirical models or empirical-theoretical simplifications of wave of sediment threshold theory, both in terms of exposure (or fetch) and bottom slope. The texture (organic content, water content and bulk density) of profundal sediments was related to the inorganic sedimentation rate and exposure, but not to the lake trophic status or the net organic matter sedimentation rate. The relationships between sediment texture and intra- and inter-site variability, together with the models that predict the DBD and sediment texture, were used to develop an algorithm that should greatly reduce sampling effort in lake sediment surveys. Finally, sediment trace element concentrations were predicted from sediment texture, site depth and simple geologic classifications. The models developed here, provide a framework in which to sample lake sediments and interpret their properties.

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