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On the distribution of blue‐green algae in lakes: Wind‐tunnel tank experiments
Author(s) -
Hutchinson Paul A.,
Webster Ian T.
Publication year - 1994
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.1994.39.2.0374
Subject(s) - algae , shore , environmental science , wind speed , mixing (physics) , flow (mathematics) , oceanography , atmospheric sciences , wind tunnel , geology , ecology , biology , mechanics , physics , quantum mechanics
In this study, we demonstrate in the laboratory that the distribution of weakly floating algae in wind‐driven, steady state, two‐dimensional flow in a water body is in accord with theoretical predictions. We confirm the theoretical results that the concentrations of algal colonies of uniform flotation speed should increase exponentially in the downwind direction and that the length scale of this concentration variation should be inversely proportional to the colony flotation speed. We observed accumulation of a surface film at the downwind shore of our tank. This film dampens surface waves, inhibits surface mixing, modifies the nearshore water circulation, traps the algae, and allows the algae to accumulate into mats.