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Enhanced Longitudinal Mixing in a Lake Caused by Inflow‐Induced Circulation
Author(s) -
Ferrandino Francis J.,
Aylor Donald E.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1029/wr021i002p00221
Subject(s) - inflow , mixing (physics) , alkalinity , hydrology (agriculture) , circulation (fluid dynamics) , tracer , backflow , secondary circulation , environmental science , geology , structural basin , oceanography , geomorphology , mechanics , inlet , geotechnical engineering , physics , chemistry , nuclear physics , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics
The seasonal mixing of substance between two basins of a large river impoundment was quantified using naturally occurring alkalinity as a tracer. The time scale for upstream longitudinal mixing throughout a 5‐km reach of the impoundment was about 2 months. Most of the longitudinal mixing was dominated by interbasin exchange flows set up by inflows and by a longitudinal density gradient. The magnitude of the observed mixing requires a backflow at least as large as the river inflow into the smaller basin. Measured vertical velocity profiles confirmed the presence of circulation currents of this magnitude.