1

NOAA Technical Memorandum ERL GLERL-97

LAKE ERIE WATER TEMPERATURE DATA

PUT-IN-BAY, OH 1918-1992

Michael J. McCormick

Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory

Ann Arbor, Michigan

August 1996

UNITED STATES

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Mickey Kantor

Secretary

NATIONAL OCEANIC AND

ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION

D. James Baker

Under Secretary for Oceans

and Atmosphere/Administrator

Environmental Research

Laboratories

James L. Rasmussen

Director

NAT OI NAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRAT OI N

U.S.DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
2

NOTICE

Mention of a commercial company or product does not constitute an endorsement

by the NOAA Environmental Research Laboratories. Use of information from

this publication concerning proprietary products or the tests of such products for

publicity or advertising purposes is not authorized. This is GLERL Contribution

No. 1010. NTIS# PB96-202452/XAB.
3

NOAA Technical Memorandum ERL GLERL-97

LAKE ERIE WATER TEMPERATURE DATA

PUT-IN-BAY, OH 1918-1992

Michael J. McCormick

Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory

2205 Commonwealth Blvd.

Ann Arbor, MI 48105

internet address: mccormick@glerl.noaa.gov

1. INTRODUCTION

Water temperature data from several sites around the Great Lakes were obtained to determine if any regional

climatic changes or trends could be detected based upon these data sets. The study was partially supported by the

NOAA Office of Global Programs. Site selection was based upon location and reasonable data access.

This technical memorandum contains data for Put-In-Bay, Ohio on Lake Erie. Water temperature data were

measured at the Put-In-Bay fish hatchery on South Bass Island on Western Lake Erie. The hatchery data were

collected by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Lake Erie Fisheries Unit, Sandusky Bay, from 1918

through 1992. The data from 1918-1961 were obtained from the following technical report: Water Temperatures

at Put-In-Bay, Ohio from 1918. Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife, Columbus, Ohio.

Publication W-189. August. GB, 1798.8, .0303, 1961.

The remaining data were recorded from 1961-1992 using an analog temperature recording unit made by

Taylor Instruments Co., Rochester, New York. The temperature traces were made on 11 inch diameter paper disks

that could hold 7 days of data. The data are scaled to degrees Fahrenheit.

The data were transcribed into a digital format using a CalComp digitizer and appropriate software. A digitizer was used to measure the radial distance from which the temperature could then be calculated. The digitizer

was set to continuously measure the radii every 0.01 inches of arc length for each day and calculate an average

daily temperature in degrees Celsius. Throughout 1961-1992 there were numerous occasions when the paper disk

was not changed on a weekly interval. Also, there were several periods when all data were lost. Consequently,

some significant data gaps are present.

The data are plotted and shown in the accompanying figures. Prior to final plotting, all data were checked for

consistency, and all questionable values were deleted. All missing data are denoted by 999.

Data files are identified as TM097Dxx.edt where xx identifies the data year. Data are organized into four

columns: month, day, year, and temperature. Although the data are reported to the nearest 0.1o

C, a more reasonable estimate of their accuracy is 0.5o

C given all the uncertainties with the raw data.

All data are available in a simple ASCII format. The data files are available from GLERL’s WWW site or

from the anonymous FTP site. From the GLERL home page (www.glerl.noaa.gov) select FTP server, or point

your browser to: ftp://ftp.glerl.noaa.gov/publications/tech_reports/glerl-97.

Although great care has been used in checking these data, mistakes may still be present. If errors are found

please contact the author at mccormick@glerl.noaa.gov.
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50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 346

Put−In−Bay 1918

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 336

Put−In−Bay 1919

Julian Day

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 337

Put−In−Bay 1920

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 336

Put−In−Bay 1921

Julian Day
5

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 336

Put−In−Bay 1922

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 337

Put−In−Bay 1923

Julian Day

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 337

Put−In−Bay 1924

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 339

Put−In−Bay 1925

Julian Day
6

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 338

Put−In−Bay 1926

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 338

Put−In−Bay 1927

Julian Day

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 340

Put−In−Bay 1928

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 339

Put−In−Bay 1929

Julian Day
7

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 338

Put−In−Bay 1930

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 334

Put−In−Bay 1931

Julian Day

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 338

Put−In−Bay 1932

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 336

Put−In−Bay 1933

Julian Day
8

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 337

Put−In−Bay 1934

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 337

Put−In−Bay 1935

Julian Day

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 318

Put−In−Bay 1936

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 94

Put−In−Bay 1939

Julian Day
9

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 328

Put−In−Bay 1940

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 139

Put−In−Bay 1941

Julian Day

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 327

Put−In−Bay 1942

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 315

Put−In−Bay 1943

Julian Day
10

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 306

Put−In−Bay 1944

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 261

Put−In−Bay 1945

Julian Day

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 302

Put−In−Bay 1946

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 256

Put−In−Bay 1947

Julian Day
11

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 250

Put−In−Bay 1948

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 310

Put−In−Bay 1949

Julian Day

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 310

Put−In−Bay 1950

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 325

Put−In−Bay 1951

Julian Day
12

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 365

Put−In−Bay 1952

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 361

Put−In−Bay 1953

Julian Day

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 364

Put−In−Bay 1954

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 365

Put−In−Bay 1955

Julian Day
13

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 366

Put−In−Bay 1956

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 365

Put−In−Bay 1957

Julian Day

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 365

Put−In−Bay 1958

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 365

Put−In−Bay 1959

Julian Day
14

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 366

Put−In−Bay 1960

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 357

Put−In−Bay 1961

Julian Day

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 363

Put−In−Bay 1962

Julian Day
15

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 365

Put−In−Bay 1963

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 366

Put−In−Bay 1964

Julian Day

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 365

Put−In−Bay 1965

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 360

Put−In−Bay 1966

Julian Day
16

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 364

Put−In−Bay 1967

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 365

Put−In−Bay 1968

Julian Day

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 365

Put−In−Bay 1969

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 360

Put−In−Bay 1970

Julian Day
17

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 336

Put−In−Bay 1971

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 364

Put−In−Bay 1972

Julian Day

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 365

Put−In−Bay 1973

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 290

Put−In−Bay 1974

Julian Day
18

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 115

Put−In−Bay 1975

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 366

Put−In−Bay 1976

Julian Day

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 364

Put−In−Bay 1977

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 357

Put−In−Bay 1978

Julian Day
19

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 359

Put−In−Bay 1979

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 349

Put−In−Bay 1980

Julian Day

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 365

Put−In−Bay 1981

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 323

Put−In−Bay 1982

Julian Day
20

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 357

Put−In−Bay 1983

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 293

Put−In−Bay 1984

Julian Day

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 213

Put−In−Bay 1985

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 360

Put−In−Bay 1986

Julian Day
21

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 225

Put−In−Bay 1987

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 146

Put−In−Bay 1988

Julian Day

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 365

Put−In−Bay 1989

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 359

Put−In−Bay 1990

Julian Day
22

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 297

Put−In−Bay 1991

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 240

Put−In−Bay 1992

Julian Day