Search

Extensive field data of a density current driven by the differences in the cooling rates between the two lobes of a small lake are presented. These data illustrate the fact that this gravitational motion affects the whole system and dominates its lakewide circulation. Moreover, data are used to evaluate the entrainment into the density current and also to discuss the regime of the flow from a scaling analysis of the horizontal momentum equations. This analysis is specifically applied to the central area of the lake, where the density current flows from one lobe to the other. Results of this study show that in the longitudinal direction there is a balance between the pressure gradient and the turbulent viscous term. Further, it is found that geostrophy correctly describes the transversal pattern of the passage of the gravity current from the northern lobe to the southern, where it flows confined to the western shoreline.

Because of the difference in morphometry and in the underground heating of the two lobes of Lake Banyoles there is a differential cooling that causes a density current — the denser water of the shallower lobe plunging into the deepest lobe forming a bottom current — which redistributes water between the lobes and replaces that of the northern lobe about every 5 days. This current has been studied during the mixing periods of the years 1989–1991 from temperature and current measurements and it has been found that it increases or slows down depending on the direction of the wind. Furthermore, it is observed that it mainly flows along the west shore of the lake, deflecting towards the right as an effect of the bottom morphometry. However, due to the long time scale of the density current the influence of the earth's rotation should not be neglected in advance. Finally, a simple numerical model has been used to corroborate the magnitude of this current — whose velocity has been directly measured — which is found to be the most important in the lake during the mixing period and so, it dominates the lake-wide circulation