Lake Bathymetry Research Articles

From straight to deeply incised meandering channels: Slope impact on sinuosity of confined streams

AbstractMeandering channels and valleys are dominant landscape features on Earth. Their morphology and remnants potentially indicate past base‐level fluctuations and changing regional slopes. The prevailing presence of meandering segments in low‐slope areas somewhat confuses the physically based relationships between slope and channel meandering. This relationship underlies a fundamental debate: do incised sinuous channels actively develop during steepening of a regional slope, or do they inherit the planform of a preexisting sinuous channel through vertical incision? This question was previously explored through reconstructed evolution of meandering rivers, numerical simulations, and controlled, scaled‐down laboratory experiments. Here, we study a rare, field‐scale set of a dozen adjacent perennial channels, evolving in recent decades in a homogeneous erodible substrate in response to the Dead Sea level fall (> 30 m over 40 years). These channels are fed by perennial springs and have no drainage basin or previous fluvial history; they initiated straight and transformed into incising meandering channels following the emergence of the preexisting lake bathymetry, which resulted in increased channel lengths and regional slopes at different rates for each channel. This field setting allows testing the impact of changing regional slope on the sinuosity of a stream in the following cases: (a) relatively long and low‐gradient shelf‐like margins, (b) a sharp increase in the basinward gradient at the shelf‐slope transition, and (c) gradually steepening slopes. Under a stable and low valley slope, the channels mainly incise vertically, inheriting a preexisting sinuous pattern. When the regional slope steepens, the channels start to meander, accompanying the vertical incision. The highest sinuosity evolved in the steepest channel, which also developed the deepest and widest valley. These results emphasize the amplifying impact of steepening regional slope on sinuosity. This holds when the flow is confined and chute cutoffs are scarce.

Developing habitat associations for fishes in Lake Winnipeg by linking large scale bathymetric and substrate data with fish telemetry detections

Understanding relationships between freshwater fishes and habitat is critical for effective fisheries and habitat management. Habitat suitability indices (HSI) are commonly used to describe fish–habitat associations in rivers and other freshwater ecosystems. When applied to large lakes however, standard sampling procedures are inadequate because of larger sampling areas and an increased risk of fish collection bias through one-time observations. Here, we use lake bathymetry, substrate, and multiple fish telemetry detections collected from a systematically deployed receiver grid to develop HSI for four fish species (lake sturgeon, freshwater drum, common carp, and walleye) in Lake Winnipeg. Seasonal variations in habitat use based on water depth and substrate were observed in three of four species. Lake sturgeon remained in shallow locations with predominantly gravel substrate near the mouth of the Winnipeg River regardless of season. Freshwater drum persisted over fine substrate in both summer and winter but had a broader depth range in the summer compared to winter. Common carp shifted from mid-range depths and silt substrate in the summer to shallow depths and gravel substrate in the winter. Walleye showed an unchanging association to fine substrate but expanded from primarily mid-range depths in the summer to include shallower depths in the winter. These findings show how multiple telemetry detections per fish can be combined with hydroacoustic data to provide informative habitat associations for fishes in a large lacustrine ecosystem.

Wind Effects for Floating Algae Dynamics in Eutrophic Lakes

Wind-speed decline is an important impact of climate change on the eastern Asian atmospheric circulation. Although wind does not determine algae biomass in eutrophic lakes, it is a decisive factor in the formation and severity of algae blooms. Based on 2000–2018 MODIS images, this study compared the effects of wind speed on algal blooms in three typical eutrophic lakes in China: Lake Taihu, Lake Chaohu and Lake Dianchi. The results indicate that climate change has different effects on the wind speed of the three lakes, but a common effect on the vertical distribution of algae. A wind speed of 3.0 m/s was identified as the critical threshold in the vertical distribution of chlorophyll-a concentrations in the three study lakes. The basic characteristics of the periodic variation of wind speed were different, but there was a significant negative correlation between wind speed and floating algal bloom area in all three lakes. In addition, considering lake bathymetry, wind direction could be used to identify locations that were particularly susceptible to algae blooms. We estimated that algal bloom conditions will worsen in the coming decades due to the continuous decline of wind, especially in Lake Taihu, even though the provincial and national governments have made major efforts to reduce eutrophication drivers and restore lake conditions. These results suggest that early warning systems should include a wind-speed threshold of 3.0 m/s to improve control and mitigation of algal blooms on these intensively utilized lakes.

A Multiband Model With Successive Projections Algorithm for Bathymetry Estimation Based on Remotely Sensed Hyperspectral Data in Qinghai Lake

Lake bathymetry plays a pivotal role in environmental monitoring, ecological management, water quality protection, etc. Hyperspectral remote sensing technology can provide large-scale coverage and more detailed spectral information for bathymetry estimation than traditional measurements or multispectral imagery techniques. In this study, a multiband linear model with successive projections algorithm (SPA-MLM) was developed to retrieve the bathymetry of Qinghai Lake, which is the largest inland saltwater lake in China. The three most sensitive spectral bands were first selected by the SPA, and a multiband linear model was established by the least squares method combined with the in situ measured water depth. Zhuhai-1 hyperspectral remotely sensed imagery is employed as the data source. In all, 98 in situ bathymetry measurements matched with the obtained images were obtained during three surveys performed in May, September, and October 2020. The results demonstrated that the established retrieval model can be used to accurately estimate the water depth in the study area, with an accuracy exceeding approximately 90%, which suggests that the proposed model performs better than those used in previous studies employing hyperspectral imagery. The correlation coefficient reaches 0.92, and the root-mean-square error is approximately 1.26 m. This demonstrates that bathymetry estimation obtained using remotely sensed hyperspectral data is an effective detection method and can provide large-scale, rapid monitoring data to the relevant decision-making departments.

Toward Numerical Modeling of Interactions Between Ice-Marginal Proglacial Lakes and Glaciers

Global climate change is evidently manifest in disappearing mountain glaciers and receding and thinning ice sheet margins. Concern about contemporaneous proglacial lake development has spurred an emerging area of research seeking to quantitatively understand lake - glacier interactions. This perspectives article identifies spatio-temporal disparity between the coverage of field data, remote sensing observations and numerical modeling efforts. Throughout, an overview of the physical effects of lakes on glaciers and on ice sheet margins is provided, drawing evidence together from very recent and high-impact studies of both modern glaciology and of the Quaternary record. We identify and discuss six challenges for numerical modeling of lake - glacier interactions, namely that there are meltwater exchanges between glaciers and ice-marginal lakes, lake bathymetry and glacier bed topography are often unknown, lake - glacier interactions affect the longitudinal stress regime of glaciers, lake water temperature affects glacier melting but is very poorly constrained, the interactions persist with considerable spatio-temporal variability and with boundary migration, and data for model parameterization and validation is extremely scarce. Overall, we contend that numerical modeling is a key frontier in the cryospheric sciences to deliver process understanding of lake - glacier interactions.

MORPHOMETRY OF MATA DO AMPARO DAM, ITAMARACÁ ISLAND, PERNAMBUCO, BRAZIL

Lake morphology is closely related to the geomorphological process responsible for its origin, and influences the dynamics of most physical, chemical and biological properties of lacustrine environments. Different methodologies and highly accurate equipment have greatly improved the technological capacity for bathymetric mapping in the last decade, but their use has been applied to a limited number of environments in Brazil, owing to their high cost and lack of trained personnel. In the present study, an accessible and low-cost approach was used to characterize the morphometrics of Mata do Amparo Dam, a man-made lake in Itamaracá Island, Pernambuco State, northeastern Brazil. Lake bathymetry with a portable echosounder and GPS was conducted in 372 points, and additional 138 points of lake perimeter were digitalized from a satellite image and later interpolated for generation of a bathymetry chart, 3D views and estimation of volume. The reservoir has a surface area of 0.042 km2, a maximum depth of 6.2 m and an estimated volume of 0.11 x 106 m3. The methodology used provided an acceptable estimate of morphometric parameters, and a physical background for future limnological studies on the reservoir.
 Keywords: bathymetry, morphology, volume

A Method to Derive Bathymetry for Dynamic Water Bodies Using ICESat-2 and GSWD Data Sets

Detailed information on lake bathymetry is essential for both hydrology-related studies and water resource management. Conventionally, lake bathymetry was mapped using high-cost approaches (e.g., ship/boat-based multibeam echosounders or airborne bathymetric lidars). With only satellite remotely sensed data sets, a method for deriving high-resolution bathymetry for dynamic areas was proposed by combining the new Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) lidar data and the Landsat-based Global Surface Water Data Set (GSWD). First, ICESat-2 can provide accurate along-track topographic points after the point cloud processing and bathymetric error correction, and the GSWD can supply water occurrence information within the lake dynamic area between 1984 and 2018. Second, using the derived relationship between the elevation and water occurrence, the bathymetric map of Lake Mead, USA, was produced with the dynamic area exceeding 235 km <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup> , elevation ranging nearly 37 m, and a resolution of 30 m. The local reference data (i.e., the airborne topographic lidar data and ship/boat-based bathymetric data) in six areas around Lake Mead were used for the validations. In general, the produced lake bathymetry achieved an accuracy of approximately 2 m in elevation with <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$R^{2}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> of 0.97. The proposed method is promising to obtain global bathymetry for inland water bodies (e.g., the lake and reservoir) and coastal areas (e.g., the tidal zone) where water level fluctuations are strong and the water clarity is sufficient.

Reconstructing the Chongbaxia Tsho glacial lake outburst flood in the Eastern Himalaya: Evolution, process and impacts

Glacial lake outburst floods (GLOF) are one of the most destructive natural disasters. Understanding GLOF evolution, and their impacts, plays a fundamental role in GLOF hazard assessment and risk management. Reconstructing historical GLOFs is an important exercise because detailed case studies of such glacial hazards are rare, which hinders the capacity of glacial hazard practitioners to learn from these events. In this study, we reconstruct a historical GLOF from moraine-dammed Chongbaxia Tsho (89.745°E, 28.211°N) in the Eastern Himalaya, which is a unique case study because the outburst flood cascaded into two further lakes downstream. We employ a combination of i) multi-source and multi-temporal satellite imagery, ii) field investigation (including an unmanned aerial vehicle survey), iii) numerical dam breach and hydrodynamic modelling and, iv) qualitative and quantitative cryospheric and meteorological analysis, to investigate the evolution of the GLOF hazard, simulate moraine dam failure and GLOF propagation, and explore the role that long- and short-term climate trends played in providing the conditioning factors for the outburst. Chongbaxia Tsho expanded rapidly between 1987 until 2001 in response to glacier recession most likely caused by a regional warming trend of +0.37 °C per decade. Based on satellite image analysis we refine the outburst date to be 6 August 2001, instead of 6 August 2000, as previously reported, and attribute an ice avalanche into the glacial lake originating from the receding parent glacier as the most likely trigger for moraine dam failure. Through DEM differencing and lake level decrease, we estimate that a total water volume of 27.1 ± 1.6 × 106 m3 was released from the lake during the event, and using dam breach modelling we estimate that the peak discharge at the breach was >6600 m3 s−1. The GLOF flowed through downstream Chongbamang Tsho and Chongbayong Tsho, both of which served to attenuate the GLOF and reduce downstream losses; the latter stored an estimated 96% of the flood volume. Precipitation totals in the weeks preceding the GLOF exceeded the historical mean by up to 40%, and may have contributed to instability of the parent glacier, and generation of an ice avalanche with enough impact energy to cause lake water to overtop the moraine dam and initiate breach development. A future GLOF from Chongbaxia Tsho cannot be ruled out, but more field data, including detailed lake bathymetry, and information pertaining to the sedimentological and geotechnical characteristics of the moraine dam, are required for a more robust parameterization of a predictive GLOF model and quantification of the hazard posed by a future GLOF.

A near 90-year record of the evolution of El Morado Glacier and its proglacial lake, Central Chilean Andes

AbstractUsing an ensemble of close- and long-range remote sensing, lake bathymetry and regional meteorological data, we present a detailed assessment of the geometric changes of El Morado Glacier in the Central Andes of Chile and its adjacent proglacial lake between 1932 and 2019. Overall, the results revealed a period of marked glacier down wasting, with a mean geodetic glacier mass balance of −0.39 ± 0.15 m w.e.a−1observed for the entire glacier between 1955 and 2015 with an area loss of 40% between 1955 and 2019. We estimate an ice elevation change of −1.00 ± 0.17 m a−1for the glacier tongue between 1932 and 2019. The increase in the ice thinning rates and area loss during the last decade is coincident with the severe drought in this region (2010–present), which our minimal surface mass-balance model is able to reproduce. As a result of the glacier changes observed, the proglacial lake increased in area substantially between 1955 and 2019, with bathymetry data suggesting a water volume of 3.6 million m3in 2017. This study highlights the need for further monitoring of glacierised areas in the Central Andes. Such efforts would facilitate a better understanding of the downstream impacts of glacier downwasting.

Late Quaternary sedimentation dynamics in the Beenchime-Salaatinsky Crater, Northern Yakutia

The Beenchime-Salaatinsky Crater (BSC) is located west of the Olenyok River in Northern Yakutia, ~ 260 km south-west of Tiksi and the Lena Delta. The age and origin (volcanic versus meteoritic) of this crater is poorly understood. The key scientific interest in re-visiting the BSC is the reappraisal of the Quaternary sedimentation dynamics for a better understanding of the sediment history and thickness in the basin. This aides for an assessment, if the site is prospective for a deeper drilling of a Quaternary (or Cenozoic) sediment archive. Soil pits and auger cores from slopes and lowland terrain in the basin were sampled and studied to infer sediment ages and transport dynamics. This also included a thermokarst lake placed in the centre of the basin. Studied properties include grain-size distribution, organic carbon and nitrogen contents (TOC and TN), heavy mineral compositions, δ13C of organic carbon, 14C ages from sediment, δ18O and δD from ground ice and waters, and lake bathymetry from GPR profiling, in addition. We conclude that the crater floor in the BSC is underlain by fluvial/alluvial sediments from the MIS 3 period. Thermokarst lake formation took place during the Holocene Thermal Maximum between 7600 and 6100 cal yr BP. The lake has been shrinking hereafter. Fluvial/alluvial sedimentation along the drainage pattern was active again between 5700 to 1500 cal yr BP, and it was flanked by the accumulation of peaty and organic-rich sediments and the formation of ice-wedge polygons.

Hydropower dam operation strongly controls Lake Victoria's freshwater storage variability

River impoundments strongly modify the global water cycle and terrestrial water storage (TWS) variability. Given the susceptibility of global water cycle to climate change and anthropogenic influence, the synthesis of science with sustainable reservoir operation strategy is required as part of an integrated approach to water management. Here, we take advantage of new approaches combining state-of-the-art computational models and a novel satellite-based reservoir operation scheme to spatially and temporally decompose Lake Victoria's TWS, which has been dam-controlled since 1954. A ground-based lake bathymetry is merged with a global satellite-based topography to accurately represent absolute water storage, and radar altimetry data is integrated in the hydrodynamic model as a proxy of reservoir operation practices. Compared against an idealized naturalized system (i.e., no anthropogenic impacts) over 2003–2019, reservoir operation shows a significant impact on water elevation, extent, storage and outflow, controlling lake dynamics and TWS. For example, compared to Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) data, reservoir operation improved correlation and root mean square error of basin-wide TWS simulations by 80% and 54%, respectively. Results also show that lake water storage is 20% higher under dam control and basin-wide surface water storage contributes 64% of TWS variability. As opposed to existing reservoir operation schemes for large-scale models, the proposed model simulates spatially distributed surface water processes and does not require human water demand estimates. Our proposed approaches and findings contribute to the understanding of Lake Victoria's water dynamics and can be further applied to quantify anthropogenic impacts on the global water cycle.

Glacial lake depth and volume estimation based on a large bathymetric dataset from the Cordillera Blanca, Peru

AbstractGlacial lakes are most often located in remote places making it difficult to carry out detailed bathymetric surveys. Consequently, lake depths and volumes for unmeasured lakes are often estimated using empirical relationships developed mainly from small bathymetric datasets. In this study, we use the bathymetry dataset of the Cordillera Blanca, Peru comprising 121 detailed lake bathymetries, the most extensive dataset in the world. We assess the performance of the most commonly applied empirical relationships for lake mean depth and volume estimation, but also investigate relationships between different geometric lake variables. We find that lake volume estimation performs better when derived from lake mean depth, which in turn is estimated from lake width. The findings also reveal the extreme variability of lake geometry, which depends on glacio‐geomorphological processes that empirical–statistical relationships cannot adequately represent. Such relationships involve characteristic uncertainty ranges of roughly ±50%. We also estimate potential peak discharges of outburst floods from these lakes by applying empirical relationships from the literature, which results in discharges varying by up to one‐order of magnitude. Finally, the results are applied to the 860 lakes without bathymetric measurements from the inventory dataset of the Cordillera Blanca to estimate lake mean depth, volume and possible peak discharge for all unmeasured lakes. Estimations show that ca. 70% (610) of the lakes have a mean depth lower than 10 m and very few longer than 40 m. Lake volume of unmeasured lakes represent ca. 32% (5.18 × 108 m3) of the total lake volume (1.15 × 109 m3) in the Cordillera Blanca. Approximately, 50% of the lakes have potential peak discharges &gt; 1000 m3/s in case of lake outburst floods, implying a need for additional studies for risk assessment. © 2020 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Representative monitoring of the calcifying alga &lt;em&gt;Phacotus lenticularis&lt;/em&gt; (Chlamydophyceae) in lentic ecosystems

The biogenic carbonate precipitation by the freshwater alga Phacotus lenticularis may play a role in long-term carbon (C) fixation that has not yet been quantified. This is partly due to the absence of a standardised methodology to representatively sample and assess the cell density and sedimentation of P. lenticularis in lakes. The objective of the present study was to define an adequate sampling methodology taking into account the spatiotemporal variation of P. lenticularis as well as the sedimentation and dissolution of calcite shells. Simultaneous measurements in three different lake sub-basins of Lake Grosser Ostersee, Germany, showed that the spatial cell density of P. lenticularis was similar in each sub-basin. At all sites, the vertical P. lenticularis cell density maxima corresponded with the slowly downshifting thermocline from depths of 2 to 6 m. During the entire growth period, composite samples from 0 to 7 m included 89% of the total P. lenticularis population. Lake bathymetry, as well as external factors like wind exposure, did not appear to affect the abundance of these calcifying algae. Sediment traps at a depth below the thermocline (at 7 m) and 1 m above the lake bottom recorded sedimentation rates of P. lenticularis shell halves (sh) between 1.1×106 and 1.1×108 sh m−2 d−1, while mean cell concentrations in the water column were between 1.1×108 and 1.7×109 shells per m². Sinking velocity ranged between 3 and 4 m d−1. Sediment from traps installed at a depth of 7 m did not reflect mean shell concentrations in the water column above. Dissolution of carbonates reduced the number of shells in sediment traps at the lake bottom and during the storage of samples. A laboratory experiment showed that even distilled water used for dilution during microscopic analysis led to dissolution of P. lenticularis shells. In conclusion, combined sampling of P. lenticularis from open water and sediment traps close to the lake bottom delivers a most representative assessment of biogenic carbonate precipitation. Due to dissolution effects, high temporal resolution along with appropriate sample preservation are crucial, whereas spatial representativeness was already achieved with low number of sampling sites per lake.

Effects of lake water level fluctuation due to drought and extreme winter precipitation on mixing and water quality of an alpine lake, Case Study: Lake Arrowhead, California

Lake Arrowhead, an oligotrophic alpine lake in southern California, experienced a drought period from summer 2012 to winter 2018 followed by a season of intense storms in winter 2019 resulting in lake flooding. This study investigates the effects of seasonal variations combined with 3.5 m water level fluctuation from May 2018 to April 2019, on water quality and hydrodynamics of Lake Arrowhead. In-situ measured meteorological data and water quality profiles in five different bays were used to develop and calibrate a three-dimensional lake hydrodynamic model. The mean relative errors between simulated and measured temperature and salinity profiles were 6.1% and 4.2%, respectively. Root mean square errors between the measured and simulated water temperatures were slightly larger during the stratified period. However, no specific pattern was observed in error analysis of salinity simulations.Strong thermal stratification during summer and early-fall resulted in hypoxic hypolimnetic waters with dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations of <1 mg L−1. Turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) generated by convective motions in the water column due to surface heat loss was typically more than two times greater than the wind-induced mixing energy during the stratification period. The lake experienced an energetic turbulent mixing regime with TKE fluxes >1.5 m−3 s−3, and Lake numbers <0.1 during the winter cooling period, resulting in a complete water column turnover and resuspension of bottom sediments. Entrainment of the hypoxic hypolimnion layers and sediment resuspension resulted in decreased DO and pH in the water column from December 2018 through mid-January 2019. Comparisons of Wedderburn and Lake numbers during different stratification conditions indicated the same trends in the strong stratification period (square of buoyancy frequency >10−4 s−2). However, in other conditions, the Lake number, considering the lake bathymetry and density profile, could better reflect vertical mixing conditions.

A geospatial approach for limnological characterization of Nigeen Lake, Kashmir Himalaya.

The lakes of Kashmir Valley show multiple signs of deterioration. This study integrated multiple datasets pertaining to the land system, lake bathymetry and water quality in GIS environment to limnologically characterize the Nigeen Lake. Settlements in the vicinity of the lake were mapped using high-resolution satellite data of 2003 and 2016. Lake depths measured at 235 points spread across the lake surface were used to produce the detailed bathymetry of Nigeen Lake. Surface water quality data at five sites pertaining to 22 physico-chemical parameters was analyzed for limnological characterization of the lake. The quality of lake water is within the permissible limits as per the drinking water standards set forth by World Health Organization (WHO); however, the values of secchi-disc transparency (0.52-1.39m) and total phosphorous (184-687μgL-1) indicate hypereutrophic state of the lake. The settlements in the lake vicinity expanded by 30% from 2003 to 2016. The bathymetry analysis revealed that the lake depth varied from 1.02 to 6.07m. The reckless urbanization and inadequate sewage treatment system together with high residence time of water in the Nigeen Lake are responsible for enhanced nutrient enrichment and deterioration in water quality.

Spatially heterogeneous trends in nearshore and offshore chlorophyll a concentrations in lakes Michigan and Huron (1998–2013)

Abstract Nutrient abatement programmes have been successfully implemented around the globe to reduce nutrient loading into aquatic ecosystems. Concurrently, the worldwide spread of invasive filter feeders, such as dreissenid mussels, may alter nutrient dynamics in invaded systems by sequestering nutrients away from pelagic zones and reducing primary production in offshore areas. Such is the case in the Laurentian Great Lakes of North America, where decades of nutrient abatement and the establishment of dreissenid mussels have seemingly resulted in more oligotrophic conditions and altered spatial patterns of nutrient availability and primary production. Recent studies have focused on whole lake trends in primary production despite spatial differences in tributary inputs, bathymetry, and other environmental conditions that can affect primary production in nearshore areas. Thus, we hypothesised that trends in nearshore chlorophyll concentrations in different areas may diverge in a manner consistent with spatial differences in nutrient input. To evaluate these differences in surface chlorophyll responses, we assessed temporal trends in four different areas of Lake Michigan and three different areas of Lake Huron. We hypothesised that in lakes Huron and Michigan, nearshore zones have experienced slower declines of chlorophyll concentrations relative to offshore zones. To assess this hypothesis, we estimated temporal trends of surface water chlorophyll concentrations (a proxy for primary production) from satellite imagery from 1998 to 2013. We calculated average surface chlorophyll concentrations for 10‐m depth intervals ranging from the shore (0–10 m) to offshore (&gt;90 m) during representative months of May, July, and September. We then analysed these data to determine if long‐term trends in surface chlorophyll varied by season, proximity to the shoreline, and water depth. The rates of annual change in chlorophyll concentrations in nearshore areas were markedly different to offshore trends in both lakes. Chlorophyll concentrations declined overtime in offshore areas, but nearshore chlorophyll concentrations were either stable (in May) or increased (in July and September) throughout the time series. Differences in chlorophyll concentrations among areas were prominent in Lake Michigan. While differences between the northern and southern basin have been previously documented, trends in chlorophyll concentrations also differed between the eastern and western sides of Lake Michigan. Despite similar bathymetry and geographic features to Lake Michigan, regional trends were not observed in Lake Huron. The results of this study are generally consistent with the nearshore shunt hypothesis, which predicts that dreissenid filtering, nutrient re‐suspension, and continued nutrient loading from tributaries can cause an increase in primary production in nearshore areas during periods of offshore oligotrophication. Thus, the localised effects of nutrient abatement programmes in a given lake will be influenced by complex interactions between lake bathymetry and the presence of non‐native filter feeding organisms.

Surface meltwater runoff on the Greenland ice sheet estimated from remotely sensed supraglacial lake infilling rate

Abstract: Surface runoff constitutes a large percentage of Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) mass loss at present but is difficult to measure directly. This study provides a novel method to estimate surface runoff through remote sensing of supraglacial lake volumes. Because terminal, non-draining (consistently expanding during the melt season) lakes impound runoff from their surrounding contributing catchments, such changes reflect runoff produced within the catchment. To estimate supraglacial lake volumes, multi-temporal lake maps derived from Landsat-8 images are intersected with dry lake-bed topographic depressions (showing lake bathymetry) identified for two supraglacial catchments (~10 km2) in southwestern GrIS, using high-resolution (2 m) ArcticDEMs. Intersecting remotely sensed lake shorelines with their underlying ice surface topography yields multi-temporal lake volume changes, which are then compared with cumulative runoff as simulated by four Surface Mass Balance (SMB) models (HIRHAM5, MAR3.6, RACMO2.3, and MERRA-2). Comparison of cumulative lake infilling with SMB simulations for these two lakes over the period 8–31 July 2015 indicates that SMB models overestimated surface runoff by 106 – 123%. These large offsets improved after early July, overestimating runoff by 40 – 55%. The runoff delay function incorporated into the MAR3.6 model improves simulation of early melt season runoff, signifying the importance of integrating meltwater routing schemes into SMB models for improved understanding of Greenland supraglacial hydrology and surface mass balance.

Observation of out-of-plane ambient noise on two vector sensor moorings in Lake Travis.

Two Autonomous Underwater Multi-Dimensional Acoustic Recorders (AUMDAR) were deployed in the southeastern part of Lake Travis during the summer of 2018. Each AUMDAR system possessed a three-axis acoustic vector sensor capable of estimating the azimuthal and vertical arrival angles from discrete sound sources. A unique and complicated propagation environment existed during the experiment due to the mooring locations and the range-dependent lake bathymetry. The AUMDAR systems were almost entirely shielded from sound emanating from surface vessels to the south and southeast of the deployment location, while a larger, yet limited, direct acoustical field of view was realized to the north and northeast. During the evening hours, the low-frequency received level increased without a corresponding increase in the number of detected discrete surface vessels. During the same time, the predominant direction of the received sound pointed toward the bend in the river channel. A three-dimensional ray model was employed to assess the various arrival angles from a grid of source positions located throughout the lake. The model results are consistent with the observations and suggest that the ambient noise field originated from vessels physically located to the northwest of the sensors, but arriving at angles consistent with out-of-plane sound propagation.

Inversion of Lake Bathymetry through Integrating Multi-Temporal Landsat and ICESat Imagery.

Lake bathymetry provides valuable information for lake basin planning and treatment, lake watershed erosion and siltation management, water resource planning, and environmental protection. Lake bathymetry has been surveyed with sounding techniques, including single-beam and multi-beam sonar sounding, and unmanned ship sounding. Although these techniques have high accuracy, most of them require long survey cycles and entail a high degree of difficulty. On the contrary, optical remote sensing inversion methods are easy to implement, but tend to provide less accurate bathymetry measures, especially when applied to turbid waters. The present study, therefore, aims to improve the accuracy of bathymetry measurements through integrating Landsat Thematic Mapper imagery, the Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite’s Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (ICESat/GLAS) data, and water level data measured at hydrological stations. First, the boundaries of a lake at multiple dates were derived using water extraction, initial boundary extraction, and Landsat Thematic Mapper/Enhanced Thematic Mapper (TM/ETM+) strip removal processing techniques. Second, ICESat/GLAS data were introduced to obtain additional topographic information of a lake. The striped topography of a lake’s area was then obtained through eliminating and correcting erroneous points and interpolating the values of unknown points. Third, the entire bathymetry of the lake was obtained through interpolating water level values of lake boundary points in various dates. Experiments show that accurate bathymetry (±1 m) can be successfully derived.

Development of Improved Characteristic Equations for Lake Rukwa in Tanzania

Often Lake Rukwa characteristics have been misreported in literature giving different volumes and surface areas at similar water surface elevations. This study aimed at establishing reliable lake characteristics elevation-area-storage equations for Lake Rukwa by utilising all available data and information to define the bathymetry and derive characteristic equations. A procedure was developed that combines historical lake extents, spot heights from topographical maps and surveyed lake bathymetry to define refined bathymetry to levels it has never reached. It combined spot heights around the lake and selected 13,934 surveyed points (from 107,938 available) within the lake confined by the 820 m land contour boundary and define topographical raster image, which was used to extract lake volumes and surface areas between the lowest point (778 m) and 820 m boundary. Change-point analysis was used to detect segmentation of the elevation-area and elevation-volume relationships, which were fitted to a shifted power model. Contours generated from a refined bathymetry raster indicated Lake Rukwa to comprise two north and south lake basins, which are separated by a ridge lying at an altitude of 794.3 m. The north and south lakes consist respectively of five (5) and three (3) deeper depressions (pools) paralleling the northwest- southeast Konongo Scarp, which are disconnected below altitudes 792 m (north) and 789.4 m (south). Characteristic elevation-area and elevation-volume equations are segmented for lake below ridge altitude (794.3 m) whereas single relationships prevail for a single Lake Rukwa. Comparison of lake volumes estimated by refined and old equations indicated underestimation of lake stored volumes between 782.2 m and 805.65 m altitudes and overestimation thereafter by the old equations although the under/over-estimation remained within 10% between 801 m and 812 m. Old elevation-area equations underestimate lake surface area of up to 796.8 m, thereafter overestimate the lake area up to an altitude of 804.85 m and above this altitude underestimation re-appear. The old equations under/over-estimation, however, remains within 11% for altitudes between 794.3 m and 810 m. The refined equations indicate surface areas of north and south lakes at ridge altitude to be 2,554.4 and 837.1 km2 , respectively forming a 3,391.5 km2 lake while at its highest recorded historical elevation of 804.69 m, Lake Rukwa is 183 km long and 17-51 km wide occupying an area of 5,614.7 km2 (north: 4,409.8 km2; south: 1,204.9 km2) and containing 58.243 km3 of water (north: 44.318 km3; south: 13.925 km3). The developed characteristic equations can be used for water management studies of Lake Rukwa.