Numerical and Observational Analysis of the Hydro-Dynamical Variability in a Small Lake: The Case of Lake Zirahuén, México

Tzitlali Gasca-Ortiz,Francisco Domínguez-Mota,Anatoliy Filonov,Diego A Pantoja,Javier Alcocer

doi:10.3390/w12061658

Abstract

Lake Zirahuén is one of the ecologically better preserved and small-sized lakes in Mexico. Observations revealed that Lake Zirahuén is subjected to a consistent diurnal wind because of the presence of a valley–mountain breeze that triggers semidiurnal and 3–8 h variability oscillations, with the latter among the natural frequencies of the lake, whereas the former and the principal forcing are in near resonance with the second vertical mode. The thermodynamic variability was greater in the metalimnion where the analysis of eigenfunctions shows that higher modes (>2) are important at depths below the thermocline. The numerical modeling adequately described the water temperature evolution and surface layer currents in an averaged manner. The daily observations showed drifts in surface currents, acquiring velocities of up to 0.1 m/s, owing to wind stress, which caused an increase in temperature at the northern section of the lake. Data averaged over three months revealed that the surface currents flow northward with an anticyclonic return to the east part and a pair of cyclonic returns to the northwestern and southwestern parts of the lake; whereas at the vertical, the structure showed two circular regions divided by the thermocline located at a depth of 15–20 m.

Highlights

Lakes, like every surface water source, play an important role in the availability and quality of clean water supplies
The depth-average velocity power spectrum estimated numerical model Delft3D to obtain an integral representation of the hydrodynamic behavior of Lake showed that the 24-h period is the primary variability in the lake
These numerical results, to our knowledge, are the first efforts on how Lake Zirahuén component spectra the other 12and 8-h periods, andJune another high-frequency responds to atmospheric forcing

Summary

Introduction

Like every surface water source, play an important role in the availability and quality of clean water supplies. Clean water problem is one of the most important challenges for science and technology, owing to the rapid increase in population, the occurrence of extreme drought events, and the overexploitation and pollution of water bodies. A reliable supply of clean fresh water is essential for meeting the growing demands of the population for household use, recreation, irrigation, aquaculture, and habitat protection. An important factor that has an immediate impact on lake water quality is climate change that causes an increase in water temperature. Changes in water temperature affect certain parameters that can be considered as climate change indicators, such as dissolved oxygen

Methods

Results

Conclusion