Response of Ice Cover, Water Level and Thermal Structure Climate Change in Wisconsin Lakes

Background/Need:
Previous research has shown evidence that the climate is changing worldwide, and more specifically, in Wisconsin.
Objectives:
The goal of this project was three-fold. First, taking a specific dimictic lake in southern Wisconsin, we wanted to determine how long-term changes in air temperature and wind speed affect ice cover and thermal structure in during the past century. Second, looking at northern Wisconsin and southern Wisconsin lakes, we wanted to investigate the coherence among lake climate drivers between the two locations as well as coherence of changes in lake physical variables over the period 1989-2010. Finally, using southern Wisconsin lakes, we wanted to investigate what role lake morphometry (i.e. depth and surface area) play in lake response to changing climate.