Distributions: circular - Circularity of Named Lakes in the United States

Circularity of named lakes in the U.S. A histogram shows circularity for lakes and reservoirs in the United States, defined as 4π * Area / perimeter squared. The distribution is skewed left, as most lakes and reservoirs aren’t very circular. Specific lakes are highlighted, such as sinuous Lake Cumberland, in Kentucky, which has low circularity, and Lower Van Norman Lake, California which has high circularity. Non-lake examples of shapes such as a rhombus and circle that include circularity, area, and perimeter values are shown for comparison.