Physical Sciences Division
Published May 14, 2021 | Version v1
Journal article Open

The Changing Face of Winter: Lessons and Questions From the Laurentian Great Lakes

Creators

  • 1. University of Minnesota Duluth
  • 2. Canada Centre for Inland Waters
  • 3. NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory
  • 4. Central Michigan University
  • 5. Norwegian University of Life Sciences
  • 6. University of Windsor
  • 7. Washington State University
  • 8. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  • 9. University of Missouri-Columbia
  • 10. University of Toronto Scarborough
  • 11. Trent University
  • 12. University of Chicago
  • 13. University of Michigan
  • 14. Michigan Technological University
  • 15. York University
  • 16. Clarkson University

Description

Among its many impacts, climate warming is leading to increasing winter air temperatures, decreasing ice cover extent, and changing winter precipitation patterns over the Laurentian Great Lakes and their watershed. Understanding and predicting the consequences of these changes is impeded by a shortage of winter-period studies on most aspects of Great Lake limnology. In this review, we summarize what is known about the Great Lakes during their 3–6 months of winter and identify key open questions about the physics, chemistry, and biology of the Laurentian Great Lakes and other large, seasonally frozen lakes. Existing studies show that winter conditions have important effects on physical, biogeochemical, and biological processes, not only during winter but in subsequent seasons as well. Ice cover, the extent of which fluctuates dramatically among years and the five lakes, emerges as a key variable that controls many aspects of the functioning of the Great Lakes ecosystem. Studies on the properties and formation of Great Lakes ice, its effect on vertical and horizontal mixing, light conditions, and biota, along with winter measurements of fundamental state and rate parameters in the lakes and their watersheds are needed to close the winter knowledge gap. Overcoming the formidable logistical challenges of winter research on these large and dynamic ecosystems may require investment in new, specialized research infrastructure. Perhaps more importantly, it will demand broader recognition of the value of such work and collaboration between physicists, geochemists, and biologists working on the world's seasonally freezing lakes and seas.

Data availability

All data presented in this manuscript is from the published literature or referenced, publicly available online sources. The exception is bacterial production data provided by co-author Xenopoulos, which are unpublished, but available in Table 1. Data used in figures and tables are available from Ontario Open Data Team (2020), Norton et al., (2019), Chandler (1940, 1942, 1944), Chandler and Weeks (1945), Glooschenko et al. (1974), Biddanda and Cotner (2002), Cotner et al., (2000), Depew et al., (2006), Saxton et al., (2012), and Wilhelm et al., (2014). This is NOAA GLERL Contribution No. 1982 and CIGLR Contribution No. 1179.

Files

JGR Biogeosciences - 2021 - Ozersky - The Changing Face of Winter Lessons and Questions From the Laurentian Great Lakes.pdf

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Additional details

Identifiers

DOI
10.1029/2021JG006247
Other
oai:uchicago.tind.io:13977

Funding

Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research
NA17OAR4320152
National Science Foundation
NSF-OCE 0825633
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
University of Michigan

UChicago Information

Division(s)
Physical Sciences Division
Department(s)
Geophysical Sciences