using a climate change story to teach about large lake processes
TRANSCRIPT
Using a climate change story to teach about large lake processes
Jay AustinAssociate Professor
Large Lakes Observatory /Department of PhysicsUniversity of Minnesota Duluth
Teaching Climate Change: Lessons from the Past
20 June, 2012
The Past and Present• The Past: What sorts of records allow
us to reliably look into the past?• The Present: How do we understand how
Lake Superior is changing right now?
NOAA’s NDBC buoys(“The Present”)
• Three buoys in Lake Superior
• 1979-Present• April-November• AT,WT, WS/WD• (also buoys in other
lakes)
Summer stratification
Warm water overlies cooler water- surface layer can be relatively thin (~10-30m)
Winter Stratification
Cool water overlies warmer water- surface layer very deep- often comprises entire water column
Central Buoy WT, 2006
Slow warmingSummer Overturn
Rapid warming
Max temp., mid August
Fall Cooling
Buoy recovered