Convective circulation during differential heating and cooling in the Minky Creek embayment of Guntersville Reservoir, data summary for 1991

Abstract

Convective circulation patterns were examined in the Minky Creek embayment of Guntersville Reservoir, Alabama, during Mid-august to mid-October 1990 and mid-May through mid-November 1991. This report describes the results obtained during 1991. Day time heating produced a warm surface layer at all stations, while the layer was often eliminated during nighttime cooling. For much of the study period, vertical temperature stratifications was minimal except during periods of heating or cooling. During differential heating, shallow regions were aften heated to the bottom while warming was confined to surface layers at deeper locations. During differential cooling water moved from shallow regions as an underflow of cool water and was replace by a return current of warmer surface waters from deeper regions. Wind influence the temperature gradients. These results support the contention that convective circulation can potentially be very important in reservoir embayments.