A study of the evolution of the particle boundary layer in a reservoir, using laser particle sizing

Abstract The dynamics of the particle boundary layer in the Boadella reservoir was studied using an in situ laser optical particle-sizing instrument. This layer was found at the bottom of the reservoir from summer until the end of the year, when the reservoir was fully mixed. Most of the particles in this layer are remnants of the summer algae bloom and are trapped in the boundary layer due to the thermal stratification. The phytoplankton bloom is mainly composed of diatoms, with diameter d ∼5 μm and green algae with diameter d ∼15 μm. Inorganic particles and decomposed organic particles with d