SMALL LAKE DAYTIME BREEZES - SOME OBSERVATIONAL AND CONCEPTUAL EVALUATIONS

The diversity of small lakes' (size < 50 km) configurations, sizes, su rrounding terrain, and land use combined with relative sparsity of obs ervations complicates the observational evaluation of the lake breezes (LB) that are induced by these lakes. In the present article observat ional data obtained from available documents, data archives, and speci al projects were surveyed to suggest characterization of the LB featur es. The observational survey was complemented by conceptual evaluation s. A preliminary generalization of the LB intensity and inland penetra tion in relation to the surrounding land use was inferred. The concept ual evaluation suggested that for a given lake width the prime factor affecting the LB intensity is the magnitude of the surface sensible he at flux over the surrounding land. Cooling related to the lake water t emperature was indicated to have usually a secondary effect on the LB intensity for small lakes. Surface observations implied that the onsho re penetration of the LB by the early afternoon hours is typically les s than the characteristic width of the lake. Lower atmosphere observat ions indicated that the vertical extent of the LB may reach several hu ndred meters. Implications of the observed LB features in support of c haracterization of the real-world vegetation breeze are discussed.