Mailing List Archive

Mailing List: techdiver

Banner Advert

Message Display

Date: Fri, 29 Sep 1995 19:56:33 -0400 (EDT)
From: Clifford Sumbler <csumbler@fr*.np*.on*.ca*>
Subject: Re: water temp. in Great Lakes
To: Roderick Farb <rfarb@em*.un*.ed*>
Cc: techdiver@terra.net
> What is the water temperature in Lake Michigan and Lake Ontario at the 
> warmest time. Surface and bottom (give depth). When is the warmest time? 
Don't know about Lake Michigan, but am in Lake Ontario on a regular basis.
Lake Ontario usually Max's out in the upper 70's, in late July, early 
August, when it starts to drop.


> Where? Specifically, what is temp at 100, 200, 300 feet. Guestimate temp 
> at 200 and 300 during warmest period.

Normal temp pattern.  Is for a warmer surface layer, late summer there 
can be an intermediate layer, and the bottom layer.

Warmer surface layer goes to a maximum depth of about 50' Approx, and is 
highly variable do to weather conditions such as winds.  The intermediate 
layer, may or may not exist at all, but is most common in late summer, 
averages in the mid 50's and can go to a max depth of about 80'.  Below 
80', the temp is pretty much a constant 41F.  This is due to physics, for 
it is at 41F that water is at its most dense, therefore settles to the 
bottom.  SO anything below a maximum of 80' is going to be 41F or about 4C.

In the fall when the surface temp drops to 41F there is what is called 
the turnover, that is when the entire water coloum mixes and with the 
associated zeroing of vis buts a halt to diving until freeze up, Late 
December.
The Ice usually starts to break up in March, again this is highly 
variable due to the severity of the winter.  Some milder winters we've 
been haveing lately have resulted in almost no ice.
The usually in mid April the surface layer has warmed up enough to set up 
the thermalclines and the gunk stired up by winter winds settles out and 
diving can resume.
 
As for your guesstestimate as to the temps at 100, 200, and 300, feet 
during the warmest time of year is not an estimate at all but a certain 
41F or 4C at all levels. 




Navigate by Author: [Previous] [Next] [Author Search Index]
Navigate by Subject: [Previous] [Next] [Subject Search Index]

[Send Reply] [Send Message with New Topic]

[Search Selection] [Mailing List Home] [Home]