Author(s): Roger Pieters; Greg Lawrence
Linked Author(s): Roger Pieters, Gregory Lawrence
Keywords: No Keywords
Abstract: In both natural and man-made water bodies, meromixis results when salinity stratification successfully resists turnover. Water filled mine pits are predisposed to meromixis because they are deep, have small surface area and often contain saline water. At high latitude, the exclusion of salt from ice can result in a fresh water cap with sufficient salinity stratification to induce meromixis. However, under certain circumstances, salt exclusion can also result in significant under-ice mixing. To explore the effect of ice cover, we use a simple box model which is applied to Zone 2 Pit at the Colomac mine site, Northwest Territories, Canada. We use observed and hypothetical data to explore the conditions under which meromixis might be expected. The potential for meromixis increases with pit-lake depth, salinity and ice thickness. The gradual flushing of the mixolimnion by fresh water inflow increases the stability over time.
Year: 2009