How Does Wind Push Water?
A new 3-D model shows how wind affects hydrodynamic mixing in a northern Italian lake.
By Emily Underwood 22 June 2017
When wind blows across a lake’s surface, it pushes the water downwind, inducing periodic currents below the surface (called “internal waves”), which are characterized by vertical movements on the order of 5–10 meters every day. This motion is fundamental to redistributing oxygen, heat, and nutrients that support living organisms, but its quantification is difficult when lakes are surrounded by mountains or other topographical features that make wind patterns more complex.
https://eos.org/research-spotlights/how-does-wind-push-water
