Temperatures and Currents in a Stratified Lake: A Two-Dimensional Analysis

Two-dimensional, time-dependent numerical models are used to predict the temperatures and currents in a stratified lake. In this study, (1) essential features of the observed distributions of temperatures and currents in large, stratified lakes, especially Lake Erie, are reproduced, (2) the effects of various governing parameters such as heat flux to the water, wind stresses, and turbulence are examined, and (3) the effects of changes in various parameters appearing in the turbulent eddy coefficients are investigated. The emphasis is on the general characteristics of thermocline formation, maintenance, and decay and therefore the time scales of interest are weeks and months rather than hours or even days.