[Acoustics] lake circulation measuring

[Jordan Furnans]

Hank, 

What Jeff says is right on, although I argue that field drifters may also be used to measure circulation - they provide Lagrangian information on the currents in the lake, and are potentially more useful in assessing contaminant transport pathways within the waterbody. I have used drifters in conjunction with GPS loggers to track currents in Lake Kinneret (Israel) and in the Indian Ocean near Perth, Australia. Others have done similar projects throughout the world. The drifters can be as simple as a PVC-pipe frame tethered to a surface float, with the GPS positions tracked by a $200 Radio Shack-type receiver. More complex designs will cost more but give a more accurate picture of how the drifter moves through the lake in time.

Best of luck, 


Jordan 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Jordan Furnans
Surface Water Availability, Instream Flow Program
Texas Water Development Board
1700 N. Congress Avenue
P.O. Box 13231
Austin, TX 78711-3231

512.463.8048
512.936-0816 fax
jordan.furnans at twdb.state.tx.us 
http://www.twdb.state.tx.us/instreamflows/index.html


>>> Jeffrey W Gartner <jgartner at usgs.gov> 08/05/05 2:20 PM >>>
Hank,

Although the lake is much larger, this is the type of thing we have been 
doing in Upper Klamath Lake OR.  Typically one needs a numerical model as 
well as field data (from fixed moorings) since you usually don't have 
enough instruments to cover the lake adequately (spatially) and under all 
different conditions (wind variations, local runoff, river inflows, etc). 
Good sources of information would be Tammy Wood in OR (503-252-3255) and 
Ralph Cheng (650-329-4500) 

Since you are dealing with a smaller lake, you might be able to make some 
pretty good assumptions about the circulation based only on field 
measurements.   As to where, when, and for how long to locate instruments 
for a time series of measurements you will need to base that on daily wind 
patterns, some spot measurements from vessel mounted ADCPs and, visual 
clues, etc.  Nevertheless, to make some reliable estimates of circulation 
in the lake I think you need to make some measurements from fixed 
moorings.

 I'm sure there are others doing this also. 

Call me if you want to talk further about this. 

Jeff
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jeffrey W. Gartner 
U.S. Geological Survey
520 N. Park Ave # 107
Tucson, AZ 85719
520-670-6671 X 268

jgartner at usgs.gov 
Visit my homepage: http://sfports.wr.usgs.gov/~gartner/jwg.html 



"Henry J Zajd Jr." <hzajd at usgs.gov> 
Sent by: acoustics-bounces at simon.er.usgs.gov 
08/05/2005 11:45 AM

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Subject
[Acoustics] lake circulation measuring







Greetings all         
 
         I have been approached about measuring circulations patterns on a 
heavily polluted 5 square mile lake and I have only a basic understanding 
on what needs to be done. 
         So who all is doing this, contact me for I have a lot of 
questions and at the same time don't know what questions to ask. Again 
thanks for your time on this. 

        Hank Zajd
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  Henry J. Zajd, Jr. (Hank)                Tel: (607)266-0217 ext. 3023
  U.S. Geological Survey                Cell phone (607) 227-3897
  30 Brown Road                        Email: hzajd at usgs.gov 
  Ithaca, NY  14850-1573                                Fax: (607)266-0521
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