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On the effects of topography on wind and the generation of currents in a large multi-basin lake

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Abstract

The wind field over a lake surface is the key element in driving the exchange of momentum and energy at the free surface. It is rarely uniform, having a considerable degree of spatial variability, both on a synoptic and a local scale. Topographic features are one of the most common contributors to this variability. The aerodynamic effects of topography on the windfield, and its influence on the circulation patterns and interbasin exchange rates in a large multi-basin lake are documented. The complex landscape that surrounds this lake is dominated by the presence of a mountain peak rising over 900 m above the lake level. The circulation patterns in those basins of the lake located in the leeward side of the mountain reflect the spatial patterns of the wind field generated by the surrounding topography. The spatial variations in the wind field are shown to significantly alter the residence times of each basin and the exchange rates between basins, isolating one from the other two basins of the lake. The inter-basin exchange rates determined with wind field variability are consistent with annual contaminant loadings estimated for each of the three basins, which suggests a close link between chemical and hydrodynamic behavior.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of California, Davis, USA

    Francisco J. Rueda

  2. Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of California, Davis 3111 Engineering III , Davis, CA, 95616, USA

    S. Geoffrey Schladow

  3. Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305-4020, USA

    Stephen G. Monismith

  4. Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720-1710, USA

    Mark T. Stacey

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  1. Francisco J. Rueda
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  2. S. Geoffrey Schladow
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  3. Stephen G. Monismith
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  4. Mark T. Stacey
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Correspondence to Francisco J. Rueda.

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Rueda, F.J., Schladow, S.G., Monismith, S.G. et al. On the effects of topography on wind and the generation of currents in a large multi-basin lake. Hydrobiologia 532, 139–151 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-004-9522-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-004-9522-4

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