Inertial Current in Lake Ontario, Winter 1972–73 (IFYGL)

Abstract

Abstract Nearly four months of continuous current and temperature data, taking during the 1972–73 winter depths of about 15 and 75 m in Lake Ontario, have been analyzed for evidence of inertial oscillations. The data, collected as part of the International Field Year for the Great Lakes (IFYGL), were obtained at nine stations: one near midlake, about 40 km from shore, and in about 140 m of water; the other eight spaced around the lake, about 50 km apart, 12 km from shore and in 100 m of water. Inertial currents occurred in episodes lasting less than 5 days and had speeds less than 15 cm s−1. At the midlake and easternmost stations, the inertial currents accounted for as much as 10% (on average) of the total current variance. Some inertial events in midlake had no counterpart nearer shore. In contrast, a lakewide episode of inertial currents was induced by a storm during a two to three week period of vertical stratification. The average hodographs during the stratified period, calculated from bandpassed sh...