Environmental Fluid Mechanics Laboratory Field work

I currently have two active active field projects; the first studying turbulent mixing in the stratified waters of Lake Opeongo and the second studying how ballast water dispersion may influence the establishment success of aquatic invasive species.

Previously I have studied internal seiches in Lake Huron and the on flushing of coastal embayments in Lake Ontario.

Spatial varibility of turbulent mixing in stratified lakes.

Our field research on Lake Opeongo in the Algnoquin Provincial Park in Ontario aims to determine how the wind can drive mixing in both the epilimnion and the deeper water. PhD student Patricia Pernica studies the mixing in the surface layer using ADCP data combined with fast response temperature records. When the wind blows over a lake it can also cause tilting of the thermocline, leading to internal seiches. The wind driven tilting of the thermocline in a stratified lake can energize bottom boundary layer (BBL) turbulence. Post-Docotal fellow Melissa Coman studies this turbulence using downward looking ADP current profilers.

Our field work at Lake Opeongo is made possible by the ongoing support from the OMNR Harkness field station.

The hydrodynamics of discharged ballast water.

In a collaborative project with DFO biologist Dr. Sarah Bailey we are studing how ballast water disperses from Great Lakes freight ships. The idea is to determine how fast and how far a potential aquatic invasive species might spread after ballast water is discharged. Such infomation will allow us to better understand the likelyhood of establishment success of a new potential invasive species. YaJun Sun is analyzing field data for his PhD project.

Field experiments in the Goderich Harbour in 2008.	Ballast water was dyed with Rhodamine WT in 2008 field experiments in the Goderich Harbour.	The concentration of this dye can be measured very accurately, allowing us to quantify the dispersal processes after ballast discharge.
Field experiments in the St Clair river in 2009.	Deploying fluorometers from Coast Gaurd boat in St Clair river.	Deploying collectors in Lake St Clair in 2009

Fathom Five National Marine park

Below is an image from July 2006 where we deployed three thermistor chains in Fathom Five National Marine Park on the Bruce Peninsula in Ontario. The temperature field is characterised by strong near inertial oscillation in the thermocline, as shown in the central image where three months of data show a strong seiche motion. Future field work here will study how the local currents influence fish habitat. So far Scott Parker and I have published one article on this field work.

- M.G. Wells and S. Parker. (2010) The thermal variability of the waters of Fathom Five National Marine Park, Lake Huron. J. Great Lakes Res. 36, 570-576 doi:10.1016/j.jglr.2010.04.009

On the right is a satellite image of Georgian Bay, showing the Bruce Peninsula and Fathom Five National Marine Park at the Northern tip.

The three moorings were redeployed between April and October 2007 with a help from Scott Parker. These have been able to capture the complete developement of the summer stratification. During August 2007 we deployed a SCAMP profiler in the water column to measure turbulence levels.


	Recovering the SCAMP

Frenchmans Bay

M.G. Wells and L., Sealock. (2009) Summer Water Circulation in Frenchman's Bay, a Shallow Coastal Embayment Connected to Lake Ontario, J.Great Lakes Res., 35(4) 548-559 doi:10.1016/j.jglr.2009.08.009

Masters student Lisa Sealock undertking field work during July 2007 in Frenchmans Bay.

A map of Frenchmans Bay in Pickering Ontario. Lisa Sealock has been studying how water is flushed out of this bay into Lake Ontario due to seiches and temperature gradients.

Birds on the old peir where one of our temperature loggers is located. Note the green colour of the water due to the high algal conecntrations.

Old images

Below are some old images of two oceanographic expediations to the Indian Ocean and the Antarctic I was able to participate in while I was a graduate student at the Australian National University.