Turbulent Mixing, Internal Waves, and Intrusions: Effects on Resource Supply and Primary Productivity in Lakes

University Of California-Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara CA

Investigators

Abstract

Abstract 0108572 Sally MacIntyre Turbulent Mixing, Internal Waves, and Intrusions: Effects on Resource Supply and Primary Productivity in Lakes Turbulent eddies circulate phytoplankton through a gradient of light and supply nutrients from deep in a lake to the well-lit portions where phytoplankton grow. Hence, the frequency and duration of turbulent events play an important role in governing the growth rates of phytoplankton. Turbulence varies as a function of differences in the initial rates of heating after iceoff, wind forcing, and proximity to boundaries. Because the study looks in depth at seasonal heat budgets, stream inflows, intrusions, internal waves, and temporal-spatial variability of turbulence, with concomitant biological measurements and experiments, results will provide a unique perspective on the role of physical processes in governing primary productivity and will allow better predictions of within lake changes due to global warming and human activities in lake basins.