Wind-induced baroclinic response of Lake Constance

Abstract. We present results of various circulation scenarios for the wind-induced three-dimensional currents in Lake Constance, obtained with the aid of a semi-spectral semi-implicit finite difference code developed in Haidvogel et al. and Wang and Hutter. Internal Kelvin and Poincaré-type oscillations are demonstrated in the numerical results, whose periods depend upon the stratification and the geometry of the basin and agree well with measured data. By solving the eigenvalue problem of the linearized shallow water equations in the two-layered stratified Lake Constance, the interpretation of the oscillations as Kelvin and Poincaré-type waves is corroborated.

Key words: Oceanography: general (limnology; numerical modeling) – Oceanography: physical (internal and inertial waves)