Water Dynamics and Morphometric Parameters of Lake Sevan (Armenia) in the Summer–Autumn Period according to Satellite Data

Abstract

Here, we explore the dynamics of the waters of eutrophicated Lake Sevan in the modern period, using MSI Sentinel-2 satellite images of different months in different years (2017–2022) and SAR Sentinel-1 images of similar dates. The main objective of the study is to investigate the spatiotemporal variability of the horizontal circulation of this lake and to establish whether the scheme of cyclonic water circulation in the deep-water part of Large Sevan, given in a number of publications, which does not imply water exchange between its littoral and deep-water zones, corresponds to the real picture of currents in the surface layer of the lake in the summer–autumn period (period of pronounced water stratification and intense phytoplankton bloom). The analysis performed convincingly showed that there is no constant cyclonic gyre on the scale of the deep-water part of Large Sevan (≈20 km) during the period under consideration. In most cases, non-stationary eddy dynamics are observed in Large Sevan, including mesoscale and submesoscale eddies, eddy dipoles (mushroom-shaped flows), and their packings. Often the entire deep-water part of Large Sevan is occupied by a two-cell (dipole) or even three-cell (cyclonic eddy with two anticyclones of similar size) water circulation. The time scale of the observed variability is several days. Such variable water circulation in different months (i.e., with different density stratification of water) of different years in a basin with a fairly homogeneous bottom and a slight indentation of the shoreline raises the assumption that the main reason for the non-stationary dynamics in Large Sevan is the variability of the wind effect on its surface layer. The cyclonic gyre in Small Sevan (8–9 km) is a permanent element of the circulation and maintains its position north of the strait between Small and Large Sevan. This gyre and attached anticyclonic eddies in the southern part of its periphery, as well as cyclonic submesoscale eddies in the northern part of Large Sevan, close to the strait, affect the water exchange between Small and Large Sevan in both directions. An additional objective of the study is a validation of the morphometric parameters of Lake Sevan (level, surface area, and water volume), contained in the near-real time HYDROWEB database, LEGOS, France (June 1995–January 2024), based on their comparison with the corresponding values of these parameters from gauging stations in Armenia. It is shown that, with a qualitative correspondence of the nature of lake level changes according to altimetric and instrumental measurements, its values in the HYDROWEB database exceed the data of gauging stations in most cases by 1–1.5 m in 1995–2012 and 0.5–0.6 m in 2013–2022, while the corresponding surface area and volume values according to HYDROWEB data turn out to be underestimated.