Horizontal turbulent energy transfer associated with a great lakes coastal current

Abstract

The small-scale surface structure of the Keweenaw Current in Lake Superior was measured using aerial photogrammetric techniques several times during the summers of 1971 and 1972. The transfer of kinetic energy from the mean flow by the action of the Reynolds stresses is calculated. Energy transfers both to and from the mean flow occur, and are a significant fraction of the mean kinetic energy. The results suggest that such transfers result mainly in a long-current redistribution of energy. The direction of energy transfer may be related to wind direction: along-current winds occur in conjunction with transfer from the mean flow, cross-current winds with transfer to the mean flow.