BIOL 4280 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Graben, Limnetic Zone, Morphometrics

• School: University of Windsor
• Department: Biological Sciences
• Course: BIOL 4280
• Professor: Haffner G

Document Summary

Temperature is a factor decreasing viscosity, wind strength, low water velocity to high velocity you break the directionality and flow giving you turbulent flow. Laminar flow: organized flow at slow water velocities. Viscosity at interfaces reduces flow but directionality of flow is constant. Sought after in engineered systems (pipes) but rare in lakes. Drag plus viscosity at interface surfaces breaks flow directionality for small water parcels. Produces chaotic directionality of water parcels (and associated solutes/suspended solids) although average velocity can maintain net direction of mass transport. Reynolds number (re: used to predict whether a current will be laminar or turbulent. Re < 1 viscosity is more important than inertial force; water is not flowing. 1> re < 500 flow will be laminar. Re > 2000 flow will be turbulent, resulting in eddies. Information about the epilimnion: very low wind speeds are capable of generating turbulence through the epilimnion.