Thermal functioning of a tropical reservoir assessed through three-dimensional modelling and high-frequency monitoring

Abstract

ABSTRACT Urban lakes and reservoirs provide important ecosystem services. However, their water quality is being affected by anthropogenic pressures. The thermal regime is a strong driver of the vertical transport of nutrients, phytoplankton and oxygen. Thermal stratification can modify biogeochemical processes. In this paper, a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model was implemented and validated with high-frequency measurement of water temperature. The simulation results were in agreement with the measurements. For all simulation period, the model performance was evaluated based on hourly values, presenting a maximum RMSE of 0.65 ºC and Relative Error of 2.08%. The results show that high-frequency measurement associated with a three-dimensional model could help to understand and identify the reasons for the changes in the thermal condition of a shallow urban lake. The impact of the stream inflow on the temperature was highlighted, showing that during higher discharge events, when the river temperature is colder than the lake water, it flows into the lake deeper layers. The inflow water sank to the deeper layers where the lake morphology changes. The model showed an impact along the entire lake, showing the importance of monitoring the inflow water temperature. This modelling tool could be further used to study specific patterns of reservoir hydrodynamics.