Abstract
Deep Lake, a hypersaline lake of about ten times seawater concentration, rarely freezes and is characterized by a monomictic thermal cycle, Winter circulation, at c. −17°C, lasts for two to three months. In summer, epilimnetic temperatures from 7–11°C result in large vertical thermal gradients (21–26°C) which combine with the enhanced rate of density change per degree Celsius, accompanying such high salt concentration, to produce a particularly stable density configuration in Deep Lake (Schmidt stability c. 8000 g-cm cm–2;0.785 J cm–2). The Birgean annual heat budget (c. 24500 cal cm–2; 102.7 103 J cm–2) is comparable to that of a temperate lake with a similar mean depth, despite the comparatively high ratio of Birgean wind work to annual heat budget (0.37 g-cm cal–1). Deep lake retains c. 50% of the incident solar radiation during the short summer heating period; within the range estimated for ‘first class’ lakes in North America. Extended daylight hours certainly contribute to the high maximum rate of heating in the lake (444 cal cm–2 day–1; 1.86 103 J cm–2 day–1). Deep Lake cools at a rate less than half its average heating rate. Partitioning the total stability into thermal and saline components shows that salinity can contribute up to c. 20% of the maximum summer Schmidt stability. In early summer, the effect of small melt-streams is to increase stability by diluting the epilimnion. In autumn, evaporative water loss can overtake this effect, creating small de-stabilizing salinity gradients. The usually short-term stabilizing influence of snowfall and drift is less predictable, but is probably more common in winter when strong winds are most frequent.
Hypersalinity has a profound effect on the physical cycle of Deep Lake, through freezing point depression and the increased rate of density change with temperature. These changes affect the lake’s biota, both in relation to osmotic stress, and by effectively exposing them to a more thermally extreme environment. A comparison between Deep Lake and a smaller lake of similar salinity (Lake Hunazoko, Skarvs Nes), demonstrates that it is inappropriate to consider the biological effects of salinity in isolation. The smaller lake offers warmer epilimnetic conditions for at least part of the summer, which may explain the much greater limnetic algal production in Lake Hunazoko.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Akiyama, M., 1975. Plankton and bottom deposits of Lake Funazoko-ike in Skarvs Nes, Antarctica. Shimane University Education Dept. Lett. 9: 29–42.
Barker, R. J., 1981. Physical and chemical parameters of Deep Lake, Vestfold Hills, Antarctica. ANARE Scientific Report, Publication No. 130. Aust. Govt. Publ. Service, Canberra, 73 pp.
Bienati, N. L., 1967. Estudio limnologico del lago Irizar, Isla Decepcion, Shetland del Sur. Contribucion del Instituto Antarctico Argentino No. 111: 1–36.
Birge, E. A., 1916. The work of the wind in warming a lake. Trans. Wis. Acad. Sci. Arts Lett. 18(2): 341–391.
Brezonick, P. L., 1972. Nitrogen: Sources and transformations in natural waters. In H. E. Allen & J. R. Kramer (eds) Nutrients in Natural Waters. J. Wiley & sons, N.Y.: 1–50.
Burton, H. R., 1981. Chemistry, physics and evolution of antarctic saline lakes — a review. Hydrobiologia 82: 339–362.
Burton, H. R. & P. J. Campbell, 1980. The climate of the Vestfold Hills, Davis Station, Antarctica, with a note on its effect on the hydrology of hypersaline Deep Lake. ANARE Scientific Report, Publication No. 129. Aust. Govt. Publ. Service, Canberra., 50 pp.
Campbell, P. J., 1978. Primary productivity of a hypersaline antarctic lake. Aust. J. Mar. Freshwat. Res. 29: 717–724.
Campos, H., J. Arenas, W. Steffen & G. Agüero, 1978. Physical and chemical limnology of Lake Riflihue (Valdivia, Chile). Arch. Hydrobiol. 84: 405–429.
Carmack, E. C., C. B. J. Gray, C. H. Pharo & R. J. Daley, 1979. Importance of lake-river interactions on seasonal patterns in the general circulation of Kamloops Lake, British Columbia. Limnol. Oceanogr. 24: 634–644.
Darbyshire, J. & A. Edwards, 1972. Seasonal formation and movement of the thermocline in lakes. Pure & Applied Geophysics, 93: 141–150.
Gibson, C. E. & D. A. Stewart, 1973. The annual temperature cycle of Lough Neagh. Limnol. Oceanogr. 18: 791–793.
Goreham, E., 1964. Morphometric control of annual heat budgets in temperate lakes. Limnol. Oceanogr. 9: 525–529.
Hand, R. M., 1980. Bacterial populations of two saline antarctic lakes. In P. A. Trudinger & M. R. Walters (eds), Biogeochemistry of Ancient and Modern Environments. Proceedings of the Fourth International Symposium on Environmental Biogeochemistry (ISEB). Australian Academy of Science, Canberra: 123–129.
Heywood, R. B., 1984. Antarctic inland waters. In R. M. Laws (ed.), Antarctic Ecology, 1. Academic Press, Lond.: 279–344.
Hutchinson, G. E., 1957. A Treatise on Limnology, 1. Geography, Physics and Chemistry. J. Wiley & sons, N.Y., 1015 pp.
Idso, S. B., 1973. On the concept of lake stability. Limnol. Oceanogr. 18: 681–683.
Johnson, N. M. & D. H. Merritt, 1979. Convective and advective circulation of Lake Powell, Utah-Arizona, During 1972–1975. Wat. Resour. Res. 15: 873–884.
Johnson, N. M., J. S. Eaton & J. E. Richey, 1978. Analysis of five North American lake ecosystems II. Thermal energy and mechanical stability. Verh. Int. Ver. Limnol. 20: 562–567.
Kerry, K. R., D. R. Grace, R. Williams & H. R. Burton, 1977. Studies on some saline lakes of the Vestfold Hills, Antarctica. In G. A. Llano (ed.) Adaptations within Antarctic Ecosystem. Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C.: 839–858.
Lewis, W. M., Jr., 1984. A five year record of temperature, mixing, and stability for a tropical lake (Lake Valencia, Venezuela). Arch. Hydrobiol. 99: 340–346.
Mason, D. T., 1967. Limnology of Mono Lake, California. University of California Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles, 110 pp.
Meod, I. R., 1964. The saline lakes of the Vestfold Hills, Princess Elizabeth Land. In R. J. Adie (ed.) Antarctic Geology. North Holland, Amsterdam: 65–72.
Mortimer, C. H., 1974. Lake hydromechanics. Mitt. Int. Ver. Limnol. 20: 124–197.
Nissenbaum, A., 1979. Life in a dead sea — fables, allegories, and scientific search. Bioscience. 29: 153–157.
Parker, B. C. & G. M. Simmons, Jr., 1978. Ecosystem comparisons of oasis lakes and soils. Antarct. J. U.S. 13(4): 168–169.
Richerson, P. J., C. Widmer, T. Kittel, & A. Landa C., 1975. A survey of the physical and chemical limnology of Lake Titicaca. Verh. int. Ver. Limnol. 19: 1498–1503.
Rippey, B., 1983. The physical limnology of Augher Lough (Northern Ireland). Freshwat. Biol. 13: 353–362.
Sampson, R. J., 1978. Surface II graphics system (revised). Kansas Geological Survey Lawrence, 240 pp.
Tominage, H. & F. Fukui, 1981. Saline lakes at Syowa Oasis, Antarctica. Hydrobiologia 82: 375–389.
Viner, A. B., 1984. Resistance to mixing in New Zealand lakes. N.Z.J. Mar. Freshwat. Res. 18: 73–82.
Walker, K. F., 1974. The stability of meromictic lakes in central Washington. Limnol. Oceanogr. 19: 209–222.
Watanuki, T. & M. Ohno, 1975. Cultivation of antarctic microalgae (2). Isolation and culture of antarctic diatom Acnanthes brevipes var. intermedia from the bottom sand of the salt lakes at Skarvs Nes in Lützow-Holm Bay, Antarctica. Antarctic Record 54: 94–100.
Wetzel, R. G., 1983. Limnology, (2nd edition). Saunders College Publishing, N.Y., 767 pp.
Williams, R., 1979. Phytoplankton populations in an antarctic saline lake. M.Sc. thesis, University of Melbourne.
Whitfield, M. & D. Jagner (eds), 1981. Marine Electrochemistry. A Practical Introduction. J. Wiley & sons, N.Y., 529 pp.
Wright, S. W. & H. R. Burton, 1981. The biology of antarctic saline lakes. Hydrobiologia 82: 319–338.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1988 Kluwer Academic Publishers
About this paper
Cite this paper
Ferris, J.M., Burton, H.R. (1988). The annual cycle of heat content and mechanical stability of hypersaline Deep Lake, Vestfold Hills, Antarctica. In: Ferris, J.M., Burton, H.R., Johnstone, G.W., Bayly, I.A.E. (eds) Biology of the Vestfold Hills, Antarctica. Developments in Hydrobiology, vol 34. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-3089-6_11
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-3089-6_11
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-010-7888-7
Online ISBN: 978-94-009-3089-6
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive