The role of wave‐current interaction in L ake E rie's seasonal and episodic dynamics

Although the significance of surface gravity waves has been consistently emphasized in previous limnetic studies, the roles of wave‐current interactions in lake dynamics are not sufficiently understood due to the lack of high‐resolution wave information. With a two‐way coupled hydrodynamic and wave model system, this study investigated how the Lake Erie dynamics are impacted by the wave‐induced surface and radiation stresses on the seasonal‐mean and episodic scales. The results showed that the surface radiation stress was the same as or an order of magnitude larger than the wave‐induced surface stress in the nearshore area (<5 km offshore), while the latter prevailed in the offshore areas. By enhancing air‐lake momentum and heat transfers, the wave‐enhanced surface stress improved the model's skill in simulating hydrodynamics in the Central and Eastern Basins, and it was of greater importance (at least an order of magnitude larger) in modifying surges, offshore currents, and thermal structures compared to those of the radiation stress. Nevertheless, the radiation stress played key roles in wave‐induced nearshore currents, especially in the shallow Western Basin. Their significances reached O (0.01–0.1 m/s) on the seasonal and episodic scales, respectively, and could have similar importance in other shallow water environments.