Natural dispersion in a small lake

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Abstract
Videotapes of dye dispersion experiments in the epilimnion of a small lake were successfully analyzed with image‐processing techniques. The rate of horizontal dispersion from dye releases in the center of the lake was consistent with previous observations in oceans and large lakes. We derive a power‐law relationship that relates the apparent diffusivity to the characteristic length scale of the dye patch. This relationship applies to all three data sets and is valid over length scales ranging from 10 m to more than 100 km. Dye releases from a point on the shore of the same lake dispersed slightly faster than the central releases. This observation, while clearly not universal, has prompted the successful shore‐based fertilization of several small lakes.

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