[cayugabirds-l] Lake Freezing

2014-02-09 Thread Tom 

Lake-source cooling doesn't add significant heat to the lake, even when it's 
running in the summer (something like the equivalent of 4 hrs of sunlight over 
a year).

Cayuga Lake froze from shore to shore @ Aurora (the widest point) in '78-'79, 
when what was then Milliken Station was operating full-bore, not in the 
attenuated state it's operated now.

Let's keep our perspective (and honesty) in our rants.

Tom Vawter

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[cayugabirds-l] Lake Freezing

2014-02-09 Thread Tom 
Linda,

Didn't the Lake actually freeze from shore to shore @ Aurora in '78-'79 when 
Sissy Farenthold declared it so  cancelled Wells classes?

And Ms Mobley,
A short answer to why Seneca  Cayuga don't freeze easily is that they are 
examples of the surface area to volume problem.  Although their absolute 
depth isn't as great as the Great Lakes, their shape means their surface area 
is small compared to their depth and volume.  Since heat is lost thru the 
surface, they don't cool as fast as lakes w/ larger relative surfaces areas.  
In addition, they both lie in a general NW-SE orientation, with a long fetch 
to the prevailing NW winds, which keep the water stirred up.  When they do  
freeze, it's most likely after a series of very clear, very calm nights, when 
cold water (4 C) can accumulate and freeze on the surface.  Once there's 
enough ice to resist break-up when winds resume, the lake will remain frozen 
with ice and 0 C water at the top and 4 C water all the way to the bottom.

Physical limnology is very cool!

Tom Vawter

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