Our Data

Physical Limnology

Why and how do we collect physical limnology data at the world's freshwater laboratory?

Physical limnology is the study of the physical characteristics of aquatic ecosystems, including, of course, freshwater lakes. It forms the basis of aquatic research.

 

Water temperature, dissolved oxygen, light attenuation, and even water colour.

 

These data and more are central to understanding and investigating aquatic ecosystems, given that everything living in a lake is dependent upon the right balance of many different aspects of physical limnology.

 

By analyzing these data along with water chemistry, hydrology, and meteorology, we are able to build a detailed picture of aquatic ecosystems and how they change over time. All of these data combine to give us insight into trends in the biology of aquatic ecosystems.

 

At IISD-ELA, we collect these data using precise and accurate equipment and techniques—sometimes without even leaving our desks—in order to ensure we are producing the highest quality data possible. Data we collect are part of a long-term dataset that we use as controls for experimental manipulations and to investigate the effects of a changing climate.

For which parameters do we test? And which datasets are available?

Basic limnological parameters are monitored on all five long-term ecological research lakes, as well as a variety of lakes on which we are currently actively experimenting.

 

Data are collected regularly throughout the open-water season and twice over the winter for select lakes. Usually, profiles from sondes and field observation data are collected at the same time as water samples that are analyzed for other parameters like chemistry and phytoplankton. This is ideal so that multiple types of data can be used together for more meaningful limnological research.

  • Bathymetry
    • maps
    • geospatial files (lakebed raster, contour lines, lake outline, etc.)
    • tabular data (depth, area, volume, etc.)
  • Ice
    • phenology (ice on and ice off dates, and detailed observations)
    • thickness (including breakdown by types of ice layers)
  • Profiles via sondes (select lakes on a bi-weekly or monthly schedule)
    • temperature
    • dissolved oxygen and calculated oxygen saturation percentage
    • conductivity and calculated specific conductivity
    • photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and light attenuation coefficients (Kd)
    • chlorophyll
    • pH (recent years only)
  • Field observations (while on the lake collecting profiles and water samples)
    • Secchi depth
    • water colour
    • wave height range
    • light depth (depth of 1% light, or failure to reach)
    • thermal stratification parameters (calculated from profiles)
      • epilimnion depth
      • metalimnion depth range
      • thermocline depth
    • Other parameters observed at time of sampling:
      • air temperature
      • wind speed and direction
      • cloud cover
    • Water temperature (logged continuously via sensors)
      • surface water temperature (floating sensors)
      • profiles from pelagic temperature loggers (“temperature strings”)

How to receive data

We are committed to ensuring the information collected from our research is available to the public. If you are interested in our data, please fill out our Scientific Data Request Form.

Scientific Data Request Form

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