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Evidence of Internal Wave Activity in Cayuga Lake, New York 1
Author(s) -
HENSON E. B.
Publication year - 1959
Publication title -
limnology and oceanography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.7
H-Index - 197
eISSN - 1939-5590
pISSN - 0024-3590
DOI - 10.4319/lo.1959.4.4.0441
Subject(s) - seiche , internal wave , thermocline , amplitude , geology , oscillation (cell signaling) , oceanography , atmospheric sciences , meteorology , climatology , environmental science , physics , chemistry , biochemistry , quantum mechanics
Temperature observations from a station near the southern end of Cayuga Lake, New York, reveal variations in the depths of the isotherms which suggest the presence of temperature seiches, or internal waves. The theoretical period of oscillation of a uninodal internal wave, based on summer temperature conditions of the lake, ranges between 55 and 58 hours. A sequence of temperature observations at the level of the metalimnion for the first eight days of August, 1951, are presented, and the observed variations are in accord with the theoretical variations. The winds during the time under consideration were reinforcing and occurred in synchrony with the seiche movements, producing an amplitude in excess of 20 meters which is about twice the normal amplitude. Observations of surface currents and temperatures give supporting evidence for the presence of internal wave activity.