Seasonal change in heat flux at the water-bottom sediment boundary in a small lake

Abstract

Heat exchange with bottom sediments is the main component of the thermal regime of ice-covered shallow lakes of the temperate zone, which explains the importance of its study and parameterization for inclusion in numerical models. Circulations arising in ice-covered lakes due to heat exchange with bottom sediments, and existing for several months, can make a significant contribution to the transport of dissolved and suspended particles along the water column. The aim of this work was to study the seasonal variability of the heat flux at the waterbottom boundary in a shallow lake during the under-ice period, including the period of spring under-ice convection. Based on the analysis of data from high-frequency (minute) long-term measurements of water temperature in the bottom area of a small lake in the temperate zone, a wide range of variability of the heat flux across the water-bottom boundary during the winter from minute to daily fluctuations was established. The role of the spring under-ice heating in the change in the heat flow at the water-bottom boundary is shown. It is shown that shallow areas of the lake bottom, falling into the zone of influence of spring subglacial convection, can accumulate heat already at the end of the ice period. The comparison of temperature fluctuations in the deep-water part of the lake and tin he area with depths close to the average is carried out. It is shown that the spectrum of temperature fluctuations has similar periods, however, in time, sharp temperature jumps in different areas of the lake do not coincide.