Northern lake modeling: A literature review

While there are many diverse temperate lake models available, there are none which are comprehensive annual northern lake models. Northern lakes are those which lie above 40°N latitude, have continuous winter ice cover, and experience large seasonal differences in daylight patterns. Therefore it is necessary to review the temperate ecosystem and smaller process models along with reported field studies to assess model adequacy for northern application. While most northern lake processes have been described in the literature, there is little agreement between investigators as to specific formulations. However, lake modeling can be a viable tool in northern lake utilization studies provided certain precautions are taken. When using the various formulations presented in this review to develop and apply a model, all assumptions of each component should be considered. Also, the uncertainty in the data and model should be incorporated or at least considered with the resulting estimates.