Galina Zdorovennova

Physics of seasonally ice-covered lakes: a review

Recently, the attention to the ice season in lakes has been growing remarkably amongst limnological communities, in particular, due to interest in the response of mid- and high-latitude lakes to global warming. We review the present advances in understanding the governing physical processes in seasonally ice-covered lakes. Emphasis is placed on the general description of the main physical mechanisms that distinguish the ice-covered season from open water conditions. Physical properties of both ice cover and ice-covered water column are considered. For the former, growth and decay of the seasonal ice, its structure, mechanical and optical properties are discussed. The latter subject deals with circulation and mixing under ice. The relative contribution of the two major circulation drivers, namely heat release from sediment and solar heating, is used for classifying the typical circulation and mixing patterns under ice. In order to provide a physical basis for lake ice phenology, the heat transfer processes related to formation and melting of the seasonal ice cover are discussed in a separate section. Since the ice-covered period in lakes remains poorly investigated to date, this review aims at elaborating an effective strategy for future research based on modern field and modeling methods.

Physical background of the development of oxygen depletion in ice-covered lakes

The effect of the heat interaction between a water column and sediments on the formation, development, and duration of existence of anaerobic zones in ice-covered lakes is estimated based on observational data from five frozen lakes located in northwestern Russia and North America. A simple one-dimensional model that describes the formation and development of the dissolved oxygen deficit in shallow ice-covered lakes is suggested. The model reproduces the main features of dissolved oxygen dynamics during the ice-covered period; that is, the vertical structure, the thickness, and the rate of increase of the anaerobic zone in bottom layers. The model was verified against observational data. The results from the verification show that the model adequately describes the dissolved oxygen dynamics in winter. The consumption rates of DO by bacterial plankton and by bottom sediments, which depend on the heat transfer through the water–sediment interface, are calculated. The results obtained allow the appearance of potentially dangerous anaerobic zones in shallow lakes and in separate lake areas, which result from thermal regime changes, to be predicted.

Some features of the thermal and dissolved oxygen structure in boreal, shallow ice-covered Lake Vendyurskoe, Russia

The 5-year-long (2001–2005) studies of the winter thermal structure and the dissolved oxygen (DO) dynamics in Lake Vendyurskoe, Russia, a typical boreal shallow mesotrophic lake of glacial origin, revealed still poorly studied features of lake-wide dynamics, such as net lateral heat flux towards deeper parts of a lake and development of the anaerobic zone over the deepest points of the lake basin. We estimated magnitude of the heat transport along the bottom slope based on scaling analysis. The seasonal changes in DO concentration appear to be controlled mostly by biochemical consumption. We identify four factors controlling the extent of anoxic zones in shallow ice-covered lakes: (1) the amount of organic matter stored in the bottom layers, including the sediments surface during the autumnal bloom; (2) the length of the ice-covered period; (3) heat content of bottom sediments; and (4) the initial water temperatures at the time of the ice cover formation.

Motion of water in an ice-covered shallow lake

The results of analysis of data collected by direct measurements of currents in shallow Vendyurskoe Lake in winter are given. The horizontal motions of water in the lake are shown to exist throughout the freeze up period. Dominating frequencies are identified in variations in water motion with periods close to those of the longitudinal and transverse seiches of the lake. Experiments are used to show that oscillatory motions of ice can serve a source of energy for the development of water mass movement in ice-covered lakes. Wind is shown to be the most likely factor generating oscillatory motions of water in ice-covered lakes. It is shown that the velocities of residual currents existing in a lake decrease in winter and their maximum values occur above the deepwater part of the lake within the first and second months of freeze-up.

The thermal structure of a shallow lake in early winter

The thermal structure of a shallow lake in the first month of its freeze up is shown to vary widely from year to year. The rate of temperature increase at different horizons of the water mass in early winter is evaluated, and warming of shallow and deep-water areas in the lake are shown to be uneven. The distribution of near-bed temperature as a function of water depth in the first weeks of freeze up features wide variations, though this relationship becomes more regular over time. Estimates of the effective thermal diffusivity are given for different seasons. The main periods in the variations in the heat content of water column in early winter are estimated.

Mathematical modeling of the ecosystem functioning conditions in the Chupa Estuary of the White Sea: Transformation of organogenic substances and bioproductivity of the marine environment

The use of a mathematical model, describing the transformations of organic and mineral compounds of C, Si, N, and P for the generalization of hydrological, hydrochemical, and hydrobiological data on nine regions in the White Sea is demonstrated. The regions examined include the head of Kandalaksha Gulf, Dvina Gulf, Mezen Gulf, Onega Bay, the Solovetskie Islands’ area, the central, deep-water part (or Basin), Gorlo, Voronka, and the Chupa Estuary. The results of modeling the transformations of biogenic substances in the water areas of the Chupa Estuary, and other gulfs and bays in the White Sea are compared and analyzed. Calculated variations in the concentrations of biogenic substances and detritus, microorganism biomasses, characteristics of their activity (specific growth rates and biomass turnover times) within a year are presented and discussed. The estimated characteristics are shown to agree with observational data. Particular attention is paid to estimating the organic matter production rates by phytoplankton and calculating balances of biogenic compounds in the Chupa Estuary.

Hydrophysical aspects of oxygen regime formation in a shallow ice-covered lake

Long-term observational data on a small, shallow Lake Vendyurskoe (Karelia) were used to analyze the space and time dissolved-oxygen dynamics in winter. Biochemical consumption was found to play a leading role in the reduction of dissolved-oxygen concentration in lake water in winter. The total decrease in the amount of dissolved oxygen since the beginning of under-ice period until mid-April was shown to amount to one third of the initial value. The year-to-year variations in winter oxygen consumption are ~10%, suggesting the process to be stable in the years of observations. The rate of oxygen consumption and variations in dissolved oxygen content of lake water in winter were evaluated. The analysis and literary data allow us to conclude that the hydrophysical processes taking place in shallow lakes in winter have a considerable effect on their oxygen regime.

The effects of extremely hot summer 2010 on water temperature and oxygen distribution in Karelian lakes

Presented are the results of the analysis of interannual variability of the thermal regime of two Karelian lakes. The data of long-term observations in Lake Syamozero (1953–2011) and Lake Vendyurskoe (2007–2013) enabled analyzing and comparing the range of the natural interannual variability of water temperature and its values in hot summer 2010. Considered are the effects of extreme conditions in summer 2010 on the formation of thermal stratification and on the dissolved oxygen regime in the lakes. It is revealed that the global warming may increase the probability of deep anoxia development in shallow lakes in the temperate zone.