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Time series measurements of ice thicknesses were made at either 1 or 2 Hz at 6 locations in the western part of Lake Erie's central basin during the winter of 2010–2011. Ice was observed over approximately 80 days beginning in late December and continuing through mid-March. Deformation and ridging of ice occurred frequently and produced ice thicknesses of up to 10 m, and over 6 m at all stations. The measurements show considerable variability (up to several meters) between stations, even when the distance between them is <500 m. Comparison of the measurements to those generated by the National Ice Center show good agreement for undeformed thicknesses, but the Ice Center analyses do not account for increased thicknesses due to ice ridging. Several different measures of ice thickness (based on different averaging times and the parameter used to characterize the resulting distribution of thicknesses) are used to characterize the data, and the results can vary widely depending upon which measure is used. The best measure to use will depend upon the use for which the data is intended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of aquatic invasive species (AIS) dispersal is important to inform surveillance and management efforts to slow the spread of established invaders. We studied potential dispersal of invasive Eurasian ruffe Gymnocephalus cernua and golden mussel Limnoperna fortunei larvae in Lakes Michigan and Erie using a three-dimensional particle transport model. Ruffe is currently in Lake Superior and northern Lake Michigan, while Limnoperna has not yet invaded the Great Lakes. We predicted larval transport during several spawning seasons (individual years) from several major tributaries and ports that are most prone to invasion because of their significant recreational and commercial usage. Depending on release location, larvae traveled distances ranging from < 1 km to tens of kilometers (in some cases over 100–200 km, depending on species) during 2–3 weeks of drift time. Dispersal distances from nearshore locations (i.e. rivers and ports) were smaller than from offshore deballasting locations near ports. Limnoperna dispersal distances were larger than ruffe due to stronger seasonal currents and longer drift period. Settlement areas resulting from offshore releases were larger than for nearshore releases, and larger for Limnoperna than for ruffe. Model results compared favorably to observed spread of ruffe and Dreissena spp. mussels in Lake Michigan. Our modeling effort suggests that larval advection by lake currents is an important AIS dispersal mechanism in the Great Lakes. It also emphasizes the importance of effective surveillance programs that maximize early detection of new introductions before lake current dispersal obviates containment and prevention of spread and impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 1-dimensional (vertical), linked hydrodynamic and eutrophication model that was previously calibrated and corroborated with 19 years (1987–2005) of observations in the central basin of Lake Erie, was applied as part of a group of models capable of forecasting ecosystem responses to altered phosphorus loads to Lake Erie. The results were part of the effort guiding the setting of new phosphorus loading targets in accordance with the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. Our analysis demonstrated that while reductions in total phosphorus loads can be expected to reduce hypoxia and chlorophyll- a impairments on average, climate and meteorological variability will result in significant year to year variability. We provide examples for achieving hypothetical water quality goals and relate the required reductions to recent nutrient sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A1 -dimensional, linked hydrodynamic and eutrophication model was developed and calibrated with 19 years of observations (1987-2005) for the summer stratification period in the central basin of Lake Erie, corroborated by comparison with observed process rates and areal hypoxic extents, and confirmed with observations from the 1960s and 1970s. The model effectively captures observations of both vertical and temporal trends in dissolved oxygen, as well as temporal trends in chlorophyll-a, phosphorus, zooplankton biomass, and several key processes. The model was used to develop a relationship between external phosphorus load and hypolimnion oxygen conditions, and then to establish load-response envelopes that account for inter-annual variability in physical conditions driven by variation in meteorological drivers. The curves provide a valuable tool for reassessing phosphorus loading targets with respect to reducing hypoxia in Lake Erie. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relieving phosphorus loading is a key management tool for controlling Lake Erie eutrophication. During the 1960s and 1970s, increased phosphorus inputs degraded water quality and reduced central basin hypolimnetic oxygen levels which, in turn, eliminated thermal habitat vital to cold-water organisms and contributed to the extirpation of important benthic macroinvertebrate prey species for fishes. In response to load reductions initiat-ed in 1972, Lake Erie responded quickly with reduced water-column phosphorus concentrations, phytoplankton biomass, and bottom-water hypoxia (dissolved oxygen <2 mg/1). Since the mid-1990s, cyanobacteria blooms in-creased and extensive hypoxia and benthic algae returned. We synthesize recent research leading to guidance for addressing this re-eutrophication, with particular emphasis on central basin hypoxia. We document recent trends in key eutrophication-related properties, assess their likely ecological impacts, and develop load response curves to guide revised hypoxia-based loading targets called for in the 2012 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. Reducing central basin hypoxic area to levels observed in the early 1990s (ca. 2000 km²) requires cutting total phosphorus loads by 46% from the 2003-2011 average or reducing dissolved reactive phosphorus loads by 78% from the 2005-2011 average. Reductions to these levels are also protective of fish habitat. We pro-vide potential approaches for achieving those new loading targets, and suggest that recent load reduction recom-mendations focused on western basin cyanobacteria blooms may not be sufficient to reduce central basin hypoxia to 2000 km². [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A linked 1-dimensional thermal-dissolved oxygen model was developed and applied in the central basin of Lake Erie. The model was used to quantify the relative contribution of meteorological forcings versus the decomposition of hypolimnetic organic carbon on dissolved oxygen. The model computes daily vertical profiles of temperature, mixing, and dissolved oxygen for the period 1987–2005. Model calibration resulted in good agreement with observations of the thermal structure and oxygen concentrations throughout the period of study. The only calibration parameter, water column oxygen demand (WCOD), varied significantly across years. No significant relationships were found between these rates and the thermal properties; however, there was a significant correlation with soluble reactive phosphorus loading. These results indicate that climate variability alone, expressed as changes in thermal structure, does not account for the inter-annual variation in hypoxia. Rather, variation in the production of organic matter is a dominant driver, and this appears to have been responsive to changes in phosphorus loads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: To simulate ice and water circulation in Lake Erie over a yearly cycle, a Great Lakes Ice-circulation Model (GLIM) was developed by applying a Coupled Ice-Ocean Model (CIOM) with a 2-km resolution grid. The hourly surface wind stress and thermodynamic forcings for input into the GLIM are derived from meteorological measurements interpolated onto the 2-km model grids. The seasonal cycles for ice concentration, thickness, velocity, and other variables are well reproduced in the 2003/04 ice season. Satellite measurements of ice cover were used to validate GLIM with a mean bias deviation (MBD) of 7.4%. The seasonal cycle for lake surface temperature is well reproduced in comparison to the satellite measurements with a MBD of 1.5%. Additional sensitivity experiments further confirm the important impacts of ice cover on lake water temperature and water level variations. Furthermore, a period including an extreme cooling (due to a cold air outbreak) and an extreme warming event in February 2004 was examined to test GLIM''s response to rapidly-changing synoptic forcing. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to show how a high-resolution numerical circulation model of Lake Erie can be used to gain insight into the spatial and temporal variability of phosphorus (and by inference, other components of the lower food web) in the lake. The computer model simulates the detailed spatial and temporal distribution of total phosphorus in Lake Erie during 1994 based on tributary and atmospheric loading, hydrodynamic transport, and basin-dependent net apparent settling. Phosphorus loads to the lake in 1994 were relatively low, about 30% lower than the average loads for the past 30 years. Results of the model simulations are presented in terms of maps of 1) annually averaged phosphorus concentration, 2) temporal variability of phosphorus concentration, and 3) relative contribution of annual phosphorus load from specific tributaries. Model results illustrate that significant nearshore to offshore gradients occur in the vicinity of tributary mouths and their along-shore plumes. For instance, the annually averaged phosphorus concentration can vary by a factor of 10 from one end of the lake to the other. Phosphorus levels at some points in the lake can change by a factor of 10 in a matter of hours. Variance in phosphorus levels is up to 100 times higher near major tributary mouths than it is in offshore waters. The model is also used to estimate the spatial distribution of phosphorus variability and to produce maps of the relative contribution of individual tributaries to the annual average concentration at each point in the lake. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]