Light in Water
1. Why study the amount of light penetration in lakes? 2. What 5 things determine how much light reaches a lake? 3. What factors influence light attenuation?
Why study light in lakes?
Light provides energy for photosynthesis phytoplankton macrophytes Sunlight heats the water
Zooplankton use light for orientation
Vision of predators
Properties of light (or more precisely, solar radiation):
In the atmosphere and in water its behavior is best explained by assuming a wave
In photochemical reactions (photosynthesis and vision) it is necessary to consider light as discrete packets of energy (quanta)
A quantum of light is called a photon
The energy (E) content of a photon varies with wavelength:
E = hn
h = Plancks constant (6.625 x 10-34 J sec)
n = frequency (Hz)
Frequency and wavelength are related by:
n = c/l
n = frequency
l = wavelength
c = speed of light 2.9972 x 1010 (cm/s) in air 2.2492 x 1010 (cm/s) in water
Spectrum of solar radiation:
Wetzel 2001
Ultraviolet (UV) 100400 nm
UV-C < 280 nm UV-B 280-320 nm UV-A 320-400 nm Short wavelength = high frequency = high energy photons Small fraction (~ 3 %) of the daily energy distribution
damaging effects on organisms
Visible 400-700 nm
VBGYORshort to long
Photosynthetically active radiation PAR
~ 46 % of the daily energy distribution
Infrared radiation 700-3000 nm
long wavelength = low frequency = low energy photons
~ 51 % of the daily energy distribution
transfers heat to the surface waters
How much light reaches the surface of the lake depends on 5 things: (1) Latitude
(2) Season
How much light reaches the surface of the lake depends on 5 things:
Atmosphere
(3) Time of day
Earth
The atmosphere scatters and absorbs light
(4) Altitude
(5) Meteorological conditions
Of the light that the reaches the surface of the lake:
Some is reflected
The rest enters the lake
What determines how much light is reflected? Angle of incidence
Surface reflection (%)
Surface characteristics of the water
Can increase reflection 30-40%
What happens to the light that enters the lake? Scattered by suspended particles Transferred to other energy sources (photosynthesis) Absorbed as heat
Deeper in the lake, there is less radiant energy this is called light attenuation
In pure water (no scattering, no photosynthesis) for every given wavelength a constant fraction of light is absorbed (transferred to heat) with each increase in depth
In this example, the attenuation coefficient is 0.1 (i.e. 10%)
% of surface light
0 0 5 10 25 50 75 100
% of surface light
1 0 5 10
depth (m)
10
100
depth (m)
15 20 25 30 35
15 20 25 30 35
This decrease of amount of light with depth can be estimated by:
Iz = I0 e-k z
d
Where:
I0 = light intensity at the lake surface Iz = light intensity at depth z kd = vertical attenuation coefficient z = depth (m)
I0 and Id are measured with a light meter solve for kd
kd =
ln I0 ln Iz
z
% of surface light
0 0 5 10
depth (m)
This is exponential decay and kd is the rate of decay
The higher the kd the faster light is attenuated with depth
25
50
75
100
15 20 25 30 35
10% 20%
Water is a color filter Red is absorbed most quickly
Blue penetrates the furthest
This relationship is imperfect in nature because:
Sunlight is not monochromatic
Lake water has suspended particles that scatter and absorb the light They are often concentrated into discrete layers
Dissolved organic compounds in the water have high absorption of UV and blue
Comparison of composite kd among lakes
Which of these lakes is the clearest? How do you know?
Why is it important to know how far light penetrates in a particular lake?
Kalff 2002
Secchi disc:
Named for an Italian priest/scientist (1800s)
20 cm disk, either all white or black and white Depth at which the disk is no longer visible from the shady side of the boat (without sunglasses)
Secchi depth corresponds roughly to 10% of surface light
ljea.org/ljsecchi.html
Varies with lakes and with season
Crater Lake Lake Superior Typical small lake Productive pond 40 m 20 m 1-8 m a few cm
Terms and Concepts to Know
Photon Ultraviolet radiation Infrared radiation Angle of incidence Light attenuation Exponential decay Kd Secchi disc/Secchi depth
