Lake Michigan has already turned over?

M

matti

Active member
Hello. I just read a report that Lake Michigan has turned over. Is that true, and if so, isn't this a bit early? Or maybe the wind direction is the only factor? From the website I was reading:

"in a matter of just a few hours, temps along on the West Michigan shoreline...Holland to the South Haven area...dropped 20 degrees.

started the day in the mid 60's. Holland bottomed out around 45 and South Haven dropped to 47."

Then, someone confirmed the temperature decrease by stating a report from the NWS:

"000
SXUS83 KIWX 241409
OMRIWX

OTHER MARINE REPORTS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
1008 AM EDT THU JUL 24 2008

LAKE MICHIGAN 10 AM EDT MARINE REPORTS


SILVER BEACH 50F 0-1 FT
ST. JOSEPH MI 50F 0-1 FT "
 
A

admin

Guest
I believe the wind direction is the cause. When winds are off shore, it will blow the surface water (which is warmer in the summer) off shore and you get the colder water from below to upwell.

I don't think a Lake the size of Lake Michigan can actually turn over. That happens on smaller inland lakes and is warmer water replacing colder water, not colder water replacing warmer water as was the case reported here.

-John
 
F

frnash

Active member
<font color="0000ff">brooks:
"... water is heaviest at approx: 39 degrees."</font>

Unless you're talking about "heavy water" (water which contains a higher proportion than normal of the isotope deuterium ...) You probably mean "water attains its greatest density at approx: 39 degrees."

That's true, at 3.98°C (39.164°F) in fact.

Liquid water becomes denser with lowering temperature, just like other substances. But at 4°C (3.98 more precisely), just above freezing, water reaches its maximum density, and as water cools further toward its freezing point, the liquid water, under standard conditions, expands to become less dense.
 
J

jim_golding

Guest
I work at Point Beach Nuclear Plant in Wiscosin which uses lake Michigan for cooling water. Wind is the main factor in the change of lake temperature during the summer. We have seen the intake water for cooling change 10 to 15 degree within a day due to a change in wind direction. About 2 weeks ago we saw our intake water go from 52 to 62 in one day when the wind was more Easterly.
 
G

gobuckeyes

New member
Jim,
How warm is the outake water allowed to be? How long is it in the plant before it is returned?

Cool stuff!

-Scott
<font color="ff0000">Football</font> <font color="808080">Season</font> starts in 168 hours!
 
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