3D Flow Structures During Upwelling Events in Lakes of Moderate Size

Upwelling can impact water quality dynamics in stratified water bodies. Conceptual models generally classify the upwelling response to winds in lakes into either a non‐rotational (2D, closed‐basin) model or a rotational (coastal upwelling) counterpart. The non‐rotational model is broadly applied in...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Water resources research 2022-03, Vol.58 (3), p.n/a
Main Authors: Valbuena, Sergio A., Bombardelli, Fabián A., Cortés, Alicia, Largier, John L., Roberts, Derek C., Forrest, Alexander L., Schladow, S. Geoffrey
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
coastal jet
Coastal jets
Coastal upwelling
Coriolis force
Downwelling
Dynamics
Flow structures
Lakes
Mathematical models
Mean winds
Modelling
Numerical models
Ocean circulation
Shorelines
Stratified water
Structural basins
Three dimensional flow
Two dimensional models
Upwelling
Water quality
Wind
Wind direction
Winds
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Summary:Upwelling can impact water quality dynamics in stratified water bodies. Conceptual models generally classify the upwelling response to winds in lakes into either a non‐rotational (2D, closed‐basin) model or a rotational (coastal upwelling) counterpart. The non‐rotational model is broadly applied in rotationally influenced lakes. The upwelling response to winds in stratified lakes may exhibit elements of both conceptual models. Here, we present the results of simulations with an accurate three‐dimensional numerical model of a lake of moderate size (Lake Tahoe, California–Nevada, USA), and focus our analyses on addressing the influence of the Coriolis force during the upwelling setup and relaxation phases. Upwelling was observed at the upwind boundary as well as along the coast to the left of the mean wind direction due to Ekman‐driven divergence. On the downwind shoreline, where downwelling occurs, alongshore currents appeared in response to wind forcing. Following the relaxation of the wind, our simulations reveal, for the first time, the existence of powerful cyclonic alongshore currents in lakes of moderate size, which are found to be in quasi‐geostrophic balance. These currents followed the characteristics of coastal jets often observed in large lakes and the coastal ocean. Our work leads us to conclude that upwelling setup in lakes with length scales ≈20 km and Burger numbers S 
ISSN:0043-1397
1944-7973
DOI:10.1029/2021WR030666