Circulation and Thermal Structure in Michigan's Inland Lakes: A Comparative Analysis Across Lakes

Ammar Safaie1, Tuan D Nguyen1, Elena Litchman2 and Mantha S Phanikumar1, (1)Michigan State University, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, East Lansing, MI, United States, (2)Michigan State University, W. K. Kellogg Biological Station, Hickory Corners, MI, United States
Abstract:
We investigate physical processes in Michigan's inland lakes during the summer months using field observations and numerical modeling. A three-dimensional, unstructured grid hydrodynamic model was applied to Lake Michigan (58000 km2 surface area), Lake Huron (59,600 km2), and Gull Lake (8 km2 surface area), a relatively small lake located in southwestern Michigan in the Kalamazoo County. We use Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler observations of currents and waves as well as temperature data form thermistor chains to test the numerical models. Field observations and model results are analyzed using spectral and wavelet analyses to gain insight into the Earth’s rotational effects on the hydrodynamic behavior of lakes.
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