Hydrodynamic Modeling of the Coriolis Force Effects on Lake Physical Processes and Water Quality Dynamics

Lakes are globally relevant for socio-economic needs as they provide fresh water sources for water supply and recreational activities, can be sites of critical sustenance fisheries, are often places of great natural beauty, and have cultural importance for many groups. In addition, lakes support diverse biota. The ecosystem balance of these natural waters is linked to the lake's physical processes that drive the transport and mixing of carbon, nutrients, sediments, and oxygen. For much of the year, thermal stratification acts as a barrier to vertical transport. At the same time, the existence of a thermal stratification allows for the occurrence of the upwelling process, which can potentially promote vertical transport and mixing. The upwelling phenomenon can alter the water quality in the littoral zone, and nutrient fluxes have been reported during the active upwelling phase. Conceptual models describe the flow structures to follow either a non-rotational or a fully rotational conceptual model, with the former applied to small lakes and systems of moderate size. Despite recognizing lake hydrodynamics influenced by the Coriolis force in lakes of moderate size, the intrinsic details of the rotational influence during lake upwelling are poorly understood, and the thresholds for the validity of the conceptual models have not been defined to date. This dissertation uses fine-resolution numerical simulations with a lake model to quantify the Coriolis force effects during the active and relaxation phases of lake upwelling and to detail the physical processes observed in lakes that exhibit partial rotational influence in the flow structures. The numerical simulations conclude that lakes that show Coriolis force effects do not follow the binary perspective of upwelling, and rotational flow structures describe lake response to wind forcing during weak stratification. Furthermore, the analysis of the flow and temperature patterns of over 300 numerical simulations of lakes res