Short Internal Waves in a Small Ice-Covered Lake

Abstract

The high-precision observational data on water temperature obtained during seven winters in a small boreal lake are considered. The spectral analysis revealed that the oscillations with a period of about 27 min prevailed in a water column. This period is close to the theoretical estimate of the first mode of the longitudinal barotropic seiche. The variability of temperature oscillations, vertical velocity, and displacement of isotherms suggest the presence of short internal waves along with seiches. The amplitude of the internal waves is an order of magnitude greater than that of seiches, and the length of internal waves is two orders of magnitude less than the linear extent of the lake.