Deep-Water Renewal in Lake Baikal
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Diss. ETH No. 12029 Deep-Water Renewal in Lake Baikal A dissertation submitted to the SWISS FEDERAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ZORICH for the degree of Doctor of Natural Sciences presented by Roland Hohmann Dip!. Natw. ETH born 22 October 1965 citizen of Ziirich accepted on the recommendation of Prof. Dr. D. M. Imboden, examiner Prof. Dr. Chr. Schar, co-examiner 1997 Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................ iii Zusammenfassung .............................................................................................................. v TEJHCbl ..........................................................................................................................vii Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................... ix 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Lake Baikal ........................................................................................................ I 1.2 How is Deep-Water Renewal in Lake Baikal Accomplished? ................................ 2 1.3 Baikal International Center of Ecological Research (BICER) ............................... 6 1.4 Outline ............................................................................................................... 6 2. Stability of the Water Column and Neutrally Buoyant Transport in Lakes ................... 8 2.1 Potential Temperature ........................................................................................ 8 2.2 Equation of State .............................................................................................. 10 2.3 Local Stability .................................................................................................. 13 2.4 Potential Density and Quasi-Density ................................................................. 13 2.5 Neutral Surface and Neutral Track ................................................................... 16 2.5.1 Neutral Surface ....................................................................................... 17 2.5.2 Neutral Track .......................................................................................... 18 2.5.3 Horizontal Pressure Gradients and Transport along Neutral Tracks .......... 19 2.6 Conclusions ...................................................................................................... 20 3. Processes of Deep·Water Renewal in Lake Baikal ...................................................... 21 3.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................... 22 3.2 Methods ........................................................................................................... 26 3.2.1 Calculation of Salinity from Conductivity ................................................ 26 3.2.2 Coefficients of Haline Contraction and Equation of State ........................ 28 3.2.3 Water Density and Stability of the Water Column ..................................... 29 3.3 Field Data ......................................................................................................... 31 3.3.1 Density Stratification in Lake Baikal... ..................................................... 32 3.3.2 Signals in the Bottom Water ..................................................................... 34 3.4 Discussion ........................................................................................................ 36 3 .4 .1 Selenga River .......................................................................................... 3 8 3.4.2 Academician Ridge ................................................................................. 46 3.5 Conclusions ...................................................................................................... 51 4. Thermal Bar .................................. ,............................................................................. 53 4.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................... 5 3 4.2 Spring Thermal Bar .......................................................................................... 54 4.3 Autumn Thermal Bar ........................................................................................ 67 4.4 Summary and Conclusion ................................................................................. 74 ii 5. Tritium and Noble Gas Analysis: Concepts and Data Processing ................................ ? 5 5.1 Geochemical Background ................................................................................. ? 5 5.1.1 Tritium .................................................................................................... 75 5.1.2 Helium ..................................................................................................... 78 5.1.3 Neon ........................................................................................................ 81 5.2 Calculation of the 3H-3He Age .......................................................................... 81 5.3 Experimental Aspects and Performance ............................................................. 85 5.3.1 Sampling and Measurement Procedure .................................................... 86 5.3.2 Calibration ............................................................................................... 87 5.3.3 Performance ............................................................................................ 88 5.3.3.1 Errors in Sampling Depth .............................................................. 88 5.3.3.2 Noble Gas Analysis ........................................................................ 89 5.3.3.3 Tritium Measurements ................................................................... 92 5.3.4 Overall Performance ................................................................................ 94 6. Distribution of Helium and Tritium in Lake Baikal.. .................................................... 95 6.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 96 6.2 Methods ............................................................................................................ 99 6.2.1 CTD Measurements .................................................................................. 99 6.2.2 Noble Gas Analysis .................................................................................. 99 6.2.3 Calculation of3H-3He Age .................................................................... 100 6.3 Results ............................................................................................................. 101 6.3.1 Vertical Density Stratification ................................................................. 101 6.3.2 Distribution of He, Ne and 3H in the Water Column ............................... 103 6.3.3 Helium Isotopes in Hydrothermal Springs .............................................. 107 6.4 Discussion ....................................................................................................... 109 6.4.1 3H-3He Ages .......................................................................................... I 09 6 .4. 2 Comparison with CFC-12 Ages .............................................................. I 11 6 .4. 3 Deep-Water Renewal Rates ..................................................................... 11 2 6.4.4 Oxygen Consumption Rate .................................................................... 113 6.4.5 4He Flux from the Lake Bottom ............................................................. 114 6.4.6 A Simple Model for Advective Bottom-Water Ventilation ....................... 115 6.5 Summary and Conclusion .............................................................................. .120 7. Summary and Outlook ............................................................................................... 122 7.1 Deep-Water Renewal in Lake Baikal ................................................................ 122 7 .2 Ion Budget.. .................................................................................................... 126 7 .3 Outlook ........................................................................................................... 127 References ...................................................................................................................... 12 9 Appendix ........................................................................................................................ 135 A 1 CTD Profiles: Sampling Positions and Sampling Dates .................................... 13 5 A2 Results of Noble Gas and Tritium Analysis ...................................................... 140 Curriculum Vitae ........................................................................................................... 145 ill Abstract This thesis is concerned with the analysis of processes and rates of deep-water renewal in Lake Baikal, Siberia, the world's deepest and largest lake by volume. Despite its great depth, deep-water renewal in Lake Baikal is relatively fast. The relative saturation of dissolved oxygen exceeds 80% in the entire water column. CFC-12 ages calculated from the vertical distribution of chlorofluorocarbon-12