Physical changes within a large tropical hydroelectric reservoir induced by wintertime cold front activity
We investigated the influence of wintertime cold front activity on the physical processes within a large tropical reservoir located in Brazil. The period chosen for this study consisted of 49 days between 28 April 2010 and 15 July 2010. This period was defined based on information from the Brazilian...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2014-08-01
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| Series: | Hydrology and Earth System Sciences |
| Online Access: | http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/18/3079/2014/hess-18-3079-2014.pdf |
| _version_ | 1819182194809110528 |
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| author | M. P. Curtarelli E. H. Alcântara C. D. Rennó J. L. Stech |
| author_facet | M. P. Curtarelli E. H. Alcântara C. D. Rennó J. L. Stech |
| author_sort | M. P. Curtarelli |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We investigated the influence of wintertime cold front activity on the
physical processes within a large tropical reservoir located in Brazil. The
period chosen for this study consisted of 49 days between 28 April 2010 and
15 July 2010. This period was defined based on information from the
Brazilian Center for Weather Forecasting and Climate Studies (CPTEC), data
collected in situ and the interpretation of remotely sensed images. To
better understand the governing processes that drive changes in the heat
balance, differential cooling and mixing dynamics, a simulation was
performed that utilized a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model enforced with
in situ and remote sensing data. The results showed that during a cold front
passage over the reservoir, the sensible and latent heat fluxes were
enhanced by approximately 77 and 16%, respectively. The reservoir's
daily averaged heat loss was up to 167% higher on the days with cold
front activity than on the days without activity. The cold front passage
also intensified the differential cooling process; in some cases the
difference between the water temperature of the littoral and pelagic zones
reached up to 8 °C. The occurrence of cold front passages impacted
the diurnal mixed layer (DML), by increasing the turbulent energy input
(∼54%) and the DML depth (∼41%). Our
results indicate that the cold front events are one of the main
meteorological disturbances driving the physical processes within
hydroelectric reservoirs located in tropical South America during the
wintertime. Hence, cold front activity over these aquatic systems has
several implications for water quality and reservoir management in Brazil. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T22:42:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0ff90e82c11948dc8752c980d34dc10c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1027-5606 1607-7938 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T22:42:16Z |
| publishDate | 2014-08-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Hydrology and Earth System Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-0ff90e82c11948dc8752c980d34dc10c2022-12-21T18:10:10ZengCopernicus PublicationsHydrology and Earth System Sciences1027-56061607-79382014-08-011883079309310.5194/hess-18-3079-2014Physical changes within a large tropical hydroelectric reservoir induced by wintertime cold front activityM. P. Curtarelli0E. H. Alcântara1C. D. Rennó2J. L. Stech3National Institute for Space Research, São José dos Campos, São Paulo, BrazilNational Institute for Space Research, São José dos Campos, São Paulo, BrazilNational Institute for Space Research, São José dos Campos, São Paulo, BrazilNational Institute for Space Research, São José dos Campos, São Paulo, BrazilWe investigated the influence of wintertime cold front activity on the physical processes within a large tropical reservoir located in Brazil. The period chosen for this study consisted of 49 days between 28 April 2010 and 15 July 2010. This period was defined based on information from the Brazilian Center for Weather Forecasting and Climate Studies (CPTEC), data collected in situ and the interpretation of remotely sensed images. To better understand the governing processes that drive changes in the heat balance, differential cooling and mixing dynamics, a simulation was performed that utilized a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model enforced with in situ and remote sensing data. The results showed that during a cold front passage over the reservoir, the sensible and latent heat fluxes were enhanced by approximately 77 and 16%, respectively. The reservoir's daily averaged heat loss was up to 167% higher on the days with cold front activity than on the days without activity. The cold front passage also intensified the differential cooling process; in some cases the difference between the water temperature of the littoral and pelagic zones reached up to 8 °C. The occurrence of cold front passages impacted the diurnal mixed layer (DML), by increasing the turbulent energy input (∼54%) and the DML depth (∼41%). Our results indicate that the cold front events are one of the main meteorological disturbances driving the physical processes within hydroelectric reservoirs located in tropical South America during the wintertime. Hence, cold front activity over these aquatic systems has several implications for water quality and reservoir management in Brazil.http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/18/3079/2014/hess-18-3079-2014.pdf |
| spellingShingle | M. P. Curtarelli E. H. Alcântara C. D. Rennó J. L. Stech Physical changes within a large tropical hydroelectric reservoir induced by wintertime cold front activity Hydrology and Earth System Sciences |
| title | Physical changes within a large tropical hydroelectric reservoir induced by wintertime cold front activity |
| title_full | Physical changes within a large tropical hydroelectric reservoir induced by wintertime cold front activity |
| title_fullStr | Physical changes within a large tropical hydroelectric reservoir induced by wintertime cold front activity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Physical changes within a large tropical hydroelectric reservoir induced by wintertime cold front activity |
| title_short | Physical changes within a large tropical hydroelectric reservoir induced by wintertime cold front activity |
| title_sort | physical changes within a large tropical hydroelectric reservoir induced by wintertime cold front activity |
| url | http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/18/3079/2014/hess-18-3079-2014.pdf |
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