Results of simulations of atmosphere-lake interactions using numerical model

Abstract

Lakes influence the regional atmosphere through modifying thermodynamic characteristics. This study examines the effects of the Baikal lake on meteorological parameters in summertime using the numerical model. Diurnal variations in the lakes’ impact on the atmosphere are found through changing the surface energy budget, which includes changes in sensible and latent heat fluxes. The changes in heat fluxes cause relatively lower surface temperature which leads to a shallow boundary layer over the lake surfaces. Greater heat capacity in water bodies compared to grasslands causes slower heating and cooling rates in the lakes. The amplitude of air temperature over the lake surfaces is smaller than that over the grasslands. Lakes promote diverging winds near the ground, furthermore, tend to stabilize the overlying atmosphere in the summertime.