Crater Lake climate and lake level variability
Redmond KT. 1990. Crater Lake climate and lake level variability. Pages 127-141. In Drake ET, Larson GL, Dymond J, Collier R (ed): Crater Lake: An ecosystem study. Corvallis, Oregon. June 18-22, 1988. San Francisco. 69th Annual Meeting of the Pacific Division/American Association for the Advancement of Science
"A consistent climate record exists from the Crater Lake area since 1931, except for major gaps during World War II. The level of Crater Lake has varied by nearly five meters during the 20th Century. Climatic variability can account for these lake-level changes. The major elements of the hydrologic changes are precipitation, evaporation, and seepage. The unique setting of the lake and the availability of moderately long records of daily weather and lake level allow the evaluation of contributions from these components. The annual cycle of water level based on daily measurements since 1961 as well as the annual cycle of temperature, precipitation, snowfall, and snow depth, in terms of averages and probability distributions, are described. The simplified hydrology of the lake is primarily a consequence of the ratio of the lake area to its catchment basin area (approximately 0.8). The lake acts both as a large raingage [sic] and a large evaporation pan under appropriate circumstances. Preliminary investigations suggest that the general assumption that evaporative water loss is less during cold season or cold episodes may not be correct."
- Type
- Conference Proceeding Paper
- Authors
- Redmond, K
- Units
- CRLA
- Keywords
- Atmospheric Sciences, Climate, Evaporation, hydrologic cycle, Hydrology, Lake Level, Precipitation, Water Balance, Water Budget, Water Level, water level fluctuation