Original Articles Open access

Lake-level variations and tides in Lago Argentino, Patagonia: insights from pressure tide gauge records

Authors

Published
12 August 2015
Section
Original Articles
DOI
10.4081/jlimnol.2015.1189

Abstract

Based on precise pressure tide gauge observations lake-level records are derived for two sites in Lago Argentino, southern Patagonia, of 2.5 and 1 years of duration. Applying the tools of time series analysis, the principal processes affecting the lake level are identified and quantified. Lake-level changes reflecting variations in lake volume are dominated by a seasonal cycle of 1.2 m in amplitude. Lake-volume changes occur in addition with a daily period in response to melt water influx from surrounding glaciers. Sporadic lake-volume jumps are caused by bursting of the ice dam of Perito Moreno glacier. Water movements in Lago Argentino are dominated by surface seiches reaching 20 cm in amplitude. Lake tides reach a maximum amplitude of 3 mm. The comparison of the tidal signal extracted from the lake-level observations with a model composed of the contributions of body tide and ocean tidal loading indicates a phase shift of 23° which is most likely explained by an 1 hour phase lag of global ocean tide models in the region of the highly fragmented Pacific coast. The comparison of the obtained results with those of a previous study of Lago Fagnano, Tierra del Fuego, allows to relate differences in the hydrological and hydrodynamic processes between both lakes to morphological properties. This leads to a tentative prediction of the lake-level variability to be expected from other great Patagonian lakes. The presented geodetic results shall serve as a starting point for a detailed limnological investigation of these aquatic ecosystems.

Keywords

Supporting Agencies

German Research Foundation DFG, Subsecretaría de Recursos Hídricos, Buenos Aires, Servicio Meteorológico Nacional, Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, Prefectura Naval Lago Argentino, El Calafate

Author Biographies

  • Andreas Richter, TUD Dresden University of Technology

    Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas, La Plata, Argentina; CONICET, Argentina;

    Institut für Planetare Geodäsie, Germany

  • Eric Marderwald, National University of La Plata

    acultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas; CONICET

  • Luciano Mendoza, National University of La Plata

    Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas; CONICET

  • Raúl Perdomo, National University of La Plata

    Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas

  • Mirko Scheinert, TUD Dresden University of Technology

    Institut für Planetare Geodäsie

  • Martin Horwath, TUD Dresden University of Technology

    Institut für Planetare Geodäsie

  • Reinhard Dietrich, TUD Dresden University of Technology

    Institut für Planetare Geodäsie

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