Effect of Bottom Topography, Eddy Diffusivity, and Wind Variation on Circulation in a Two-layer Stratified Lake

Richard T. Gedney · Wilbert Lick · Frank B. Molls

jan. 1973 · National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Om denne e-bog

The steady-state, wind-driven circulation is calculated in a stratified lake composed of two layers having uniform but unequal densities and eddy diffusivities. The position of the thermocline and the velocities in both layers are calculated from an asymptotic solution of the shallow lake equations when the Ekman number in the epilimnion (upper layer) is of order one but the ratio of hypolimnion (lower layer) to epilimnion eddy diffusivities is much less than one. Large differences in the thermocline shape and the velocities occur between the solution for uniform wind stress and the one for unit order wind stress gradients. For the latter solution the hypolimnion eddy diffusivity magnitude and the bottom topography have a large and important effect.