The density of inflows to Onondaga Lake,U.S.A., 1980 and 1981

The temporal distributions of the densities of inflows to Onondaga Lake were calculated for the spring to fall period of 1980 and 1981, and compared to the attendant density stratification in ion enriched Onondaga Lake. The industrial utilization of the lake resulted in substantial density differences between the inflows and the lake. Inflows carrying substantial fractions of industrial ionic waste were more dense than the lake, and at times plunged to stratified layers. Water withdrawn from the lower layers of the lake for industrial cooling was displaced to the upper layers as a result of heating. Dilute fluvial inflows were substantially less dense than the lake. The density differences between the inflows and the lake were largely responsible for the rather unique features of density stratification documented for the lake in 1980, and are probably of further importance in nutrient loading to, and cycling in, Onondaga Lake.