Buoyancy-driven Flows in Cryospheric Aquatic Systems

Buoyancy-driven flows play a fundamental role in shaping the dynamics of cryospheric aquatic systems, including ice-covered and proglacial lakes. These flows, driven by density contrasts resulting from variations in temperature, salinity, or meltwater input, regulate critical processes such as heat transport, nutrient distribution, and ice-ocean interactions. This study investigates the mechanisms underlying buoyancy-driven flows, their variability across diverse cryospheric settings, and their implications for heat and mass redistribution in aquatic systems. By integrating field observations, laboratory experiments, and numerical modeling, we explore the patterns of buoyancy-driven flows and their sensitivity to changing environmental conditions. Our findings emphasize the importance of convective dynamics and the nonlinear equation of state of water in governing heat exchange at solid-liquid interfaces, water column stratification, and localized mixing layers. This research enhances our understanding of fragile aquatic systems and provides new insights into the physics of the cryosphere.