A model of the wind-driven circulation in Lake Baikal

A numerical model based on the Navier-Stokes equations is used to simulate the circulation produced by a strong wind in a cross-section of Lake Baikal. Temperature distributions have been obtained for different stages of the spring warming of the lake, using available measurements and simulating the faster warming of the near-shore areas in accordance with the local stability conditions. These have been used as initial conditions for the prediction of the wind-driven circulation. The results presented suggest that buoyancy forces have little impact on the magnitude of vertical currents descending towards the bottom of the lake, but the action of buoyancy forces could initiate additional motions that have been found to generate strong vertical currents far from the shores. Furthermore, there appears to be evidence in our data of local acceleration linked to changes in the bottom topography of the section. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.