Deep-water renewal in Lake Issyk-Kul

[1] The deep-water renewal rates of Lake Issyk-Kul are studied using the time-dependent anthropogenically produced tracers sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and tritium-helium-3. SF6 and the CFCs are used to calibrate a mixing model from which the vertical age distribution is calculated and found to be comparable to the SF6 apparent ages. Based on this model, the mean age of the water below 100 m depth is 6.1 yrs. The mean oxygen consumption rate for the same depth range is 6.4 m mol kg(-1) yr(-1) and the mean remineralization rates for nitrate, phosphate and silicate are 0.53, 0.003 and 0.67 m mol kg(-1) yr(-1), respectively.