A low-cost hydrologic observatory for monitoring the water balance of small lakes
Autor: | James R. Michler, John D. Lenters, Carl J. Watras, Jeff L. Rubsam |
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Rok vydání: | 2019 |
Předmět: |
010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences
Climate Global warming General Medicine 010501 environmental sciences Management Monitoring Policy and Law Atmospheric sciences 01 natural sciences Pollution Global Warming Water balance Lakes Water Cycle Wisconsin Environmental science Climate model Stage (hydrology) Precipitation Bowen ratio Water cycle Hydrology Surface water 0105 earth and related environmental sciences General Environmental Science Environmental Monitoring |
Zdroj: | Environmental monitoring and assessment. 191(9) |
ISSN: | 1573-2959 |
Popis: | Global warming portends an accelerated water cycle as increased evaporation feeds atmospheric moisture and precipitation. To monitor effects on surface water levels, we describe a low-cost hydrologic observatory suitable for small to medium size lakes. The observatory comprises sensor platforms that were built in-house to compile continuous, sub-daily water budgets. The variables measured directly are lake stage (S), evaporation (E), and precipitation (P). A net inflow term (Qnet) is estimated as a residual in the continuity equation: ∆S = P - E + Qnet. We describe how to build in-lake stilling wells and floating evaporation pans using readily available materials. We assess their performance in laboratory tests and field trials. A 3-month deployment on a small Wisconsin lake (18 ha, 10 m deep) confirms that continuous estimates of ∆S, E, P, and Qnet can be made with good precision and accuracy at hourly time scales. During that deployment, daily estimates of E from the floating evaporation pans were comparable with estimates made using the more data-intensive Bowen ratio energy balance method and a mass transfer model. Since small lakes are numerically dominant and widely distributed across the globe, a network of hydrologic observatories would enable the calibration and validation of climate models and consumptive use policies at local and regional scales. And since the observatories are inexpensive and relatively simple to maintain, citizen scientists could facilitate the expansion of spatial coverage with minimal training. |
Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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