High-frequency water level oscillations in a coastal shallow lake

High-frequency water level oscillations in a coastal shallow lake | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article High-frequency water level oscillations in a coastal shallow lake Ivica Vilibić, Maja Bubalo, Petra Zemunik Selak, Petra Pranić, and 3 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6226261/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 22 Jul, 2025 Read the published version in Natural Hazards → Version 1 posted 4 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Unusually strong water level oscillations (up to half a meter) associated mostly with lake seiches were observed in Vrana Lake near Biograd, Croatia. This shallow lake (up to 4 m deep) has limited water exchange with the adjacent sea through an artificial channel and karst formations. Based on the largest variances estimated from 1-minute water level series measured between September 2021 and March 2024 under different mean water level conditions, the eight strongest episodes were analysed. Most episodes were observed during the colder part of the year, particularly between November and January. A decrease in the periods of spectral peaks by approximately 25% was documented between episodes occurring during maximum and minimum mean water level conditions. Most episodes were associated with a strong mid-troposphere jet, with its core located southwest or west of the lake, and a cyclone cantered west or northwest of the lake. A strong episode observed during the summer months—on 5 September 2024—resembled synoptic conditions typically seen during Mediterranean meteotsunamis. All investigated water level oscillations were linked to travelling mesoscale convective systems. Modelling exercises indicate that the strongest lake oscillations correspond to the fundamental seiches of the lake, driven mostly by along-lake winds, while air pressure forcing contributes primarily to higher-frequency seiche modes. Strong currents, reaching up to 50 cm/s, are associated with the most intense water level oscillations, presumably resulting in strong mixing of the lake, sediment resuspension, and the transport of salt and chemical compounds along the lake. This is particularly important as the lake is a protected Nature Park due to its ornithological reserve in the northwest, which is endangered by ongoing climate change. Rising sea levels and decreased precipitation in the lake’s drainage area could lead to a substantial increase in salinity, threatening the lake’s ecosystem. Vrana Lake seiches numerical modelling air pressure wind currents Full Text Supplementary Files MovieS1.mp4 MovieS2.mp4 MovieS3.mp4 MovieS4.mp4 MovieS5.mp4 MovieS6.mp4 supplementaryNHAZ2025VranaLake.pdf Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 22 Jul, 2025 Read the published version in Natural Hazards → Version 1 posted Reviewers agreed at journal 18 Mar, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 17 Mar, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 15 Mar, 2025 First submitted to journal 14 Mar, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6226261","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":430197022,"identity":"81dafe57-fe1d-4081-add5-6c22bf1e1b47","order_by":0,"name":"Ivica 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