Lake Michigan Deep-Water Vertical Temperature Time Series

Long-term vertical water temperature observations from a fixed mooring in the deepest area (approximately 155 m) of Lake Michigan's southern basin. The dataset was collected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to understand the lake's vertical thermal structure. Observations were made as continuously as possible, with annual equipment maintenance or replacement causing some temporal gaps and variations in measurement depth.

Use Cases

• Analyzing seasonal and interannual variability in lake thermal stratification using temperature-depth-time data.
• Modeling deep-water heat content and energy exchange processes in Lake Michigan.
• Investigating the impact of climate change on freshwater lake temperature profiles over long timescales.
• Studying vertical mixing and water column stability in a deep lacustrine basin.

Strengths

• Provides long-term, year-around observations from a strategically important location at the lake's deepest point (approx. 155 m).
• Data collection aimed for continuity over the period of record, supporting time-series analysis.

Limitations

• Specific column names, row counts, file size, and precise temporal coverage are not provided by any source.
• Measurement depths varied between annual mooring deployments, complicating direct depth-wise time series.
• Temporal collection has breaks for annual equipment maintenance or due to equipment loss.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Collected from a fixed mooring equipped with thermistors (models include R.B. Brancker TR 1000, RBR Duet, SeaBird 39 & 56), retrieved and replaced annually.

Time Range

Long-term, but specific start and end dates are not provided.

Freshness

2026-03-05 23:55:09.641196

Geography

Southern basin of Lake Michigan, at its deepest location (approx. 155 m depth).