Simulating Upwelling in a Large Lake Using Slippery Sacks

Abstract

A Lagrangian numerical model is used to simulate upwelling in an idealized large lake. This simulation is carried out to test the model's potential for simulating lake and ocean circulations. The model is based on the slippery sack (SS) method that was recently developed by the authors. It represents the lake as a pile of conforming sacks. The motions of the sacks are determined using Newtonian dynamics. The model uses gravity wave retardation to allow for long time steps and has pseudo-Eulerian vertical mixing. The lake is exposed to northerly winds for 29 h. Upwelling develops in the eastern edge of the basin, and after the winds shut off, upwelling fronts propagate around the lake. This case was previously simulated using a height- and sigma-coordinate ocean model. The SS model produces circulations that are similar to those produced by the other models, but the SS simulation exhibits less mixing.