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Temperature distribution and current system in a convectively mixed lake

Malm, Joakim LU and Zilitinkevich, Sergei (1994) In Boundary-Layer Meteorology 71(3). p.219-234
Abstract
During spring and autumn, many lakes in temperate latitudes experience intensive convective mixing in the vertical, which leads to almost isothermal conditions with depth. Thus the regime of turbulence appears to be similar with that characteristic of convective boundary layers in the atmosphere. In the present paper a simple analytical approach, based on boundary-layer theory, is applied to convective conditions in lakes. The aims of the paper are firstly to analyze in detail the temperature distribution during these periods, and secondly to investigate the current system, created by the horizontal temperature gradient and wind action. For these purposes, simple analytical solutions for the current velocities are derived under the... (More)
During spring and autumn, many lakes in temperate latitudes experience intensive convective mixing in the vertical, which leads to almost isothermal conditions with depth. Thus the regime of turbulence appears to be similar with that characteristic of convective boundary layers in the atmosphere. In the present paper a simple analytical approach, based on boundary-layer theory, is applied to convective conditions in lakes. The aims of the paper are firstly to analyze in detail the temperature distribution during these periods, and secondly to investigate the current system, created by the horizontal temperature gradient and wind action. For these purposes, simple analytical solutions for the current velocities are derived under the assumption of depth-constant temperatures. The density-induced current velocities are shown to be small, in the order of a few mm/sec. The analytical model of wind-driven currents is compared with field data. The solution is in good qualitative agreement with observed current velocities under the condition that the wind field is steady for a relatively long time and that residual effects from former wind events are negligible.

The effect of the current system on an approximately depth-constant temperature distribution is then checked by using the obtained current velocity fields in the heat transfer equation and deriving an analytical solution for the corrected temperature field. These temperature corrections are shown to be small, which indicates that it is reasonable to describe the temperature distribution with vertical isotherms. (Less)
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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Boundary-Layer Meteorology
volume
71
issue
3
pages
219 - 234
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • scopus:0028668992
ISSN
0006-8314
DOI
10.1007/BF00713739
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
0a2e4e7e-bb58-448d-8f79-9a05b9ffde07
date added to LUP
2019-10-26 01:52:11
date last changed
2021-01-03 03:24:38
@article{0a2e4e7e-bb58-448d-8f79-9a05b9ffde07,
  abstract     = {{During spring and autumn, many lakes in temperate latitudes experience intensive convective mixing in the vertical, which leads to almost isothermal conditions with depth. Thus the regime of turbulence appears to be similar with that characteristic of convective boundary layers in the atmosphere. In the present paper a simple analytical approach, based on boundary-layer theory, is applied to convective conditions in lakes. The aims of the paper are firstly to analyze in detail the temperature distribution during these periods, and secondly to investigate the current system, created by the horizontal temperature gradient and wind action. For these purposes, simple analytical solutions for the current velocities are derived under the assumption of depth-constant temperatures. The density-induced current velocities are shown to be small, in the order of a few mm/sec. The analytical model of wind-driven currents is compared with field data. The solution is in good qualitative agreement with observed current velocities under the condition that the wind field is steady for a relatively long time and that residual effects from former wind events are negligible.<br/><br/>The effect of the current system on an approximately depth-constant temperature distribution is then checked by using the obtained current velocity fields in the heat transfer equation and deriving an analytical solution for the corrected temperature field. These temperature corrections are shown to be small, which indicates that it is reasonable to describe the temperature distribution with vertical isotherms.}},
  author       = {{Malm, Joakim and Zilitinkevich, Sergei}},
  issn         = {{0006-8314}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{219--234}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Boundary-Layer Meteorology}},
  title        = {{Temperature distribution and current system in a convectively mixed lake}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00713739}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/BF00713739}},
  volume       = {{71}},
  year         = {{1994}},
}