Algae Bloom in a Lake

by David Sanabria

Submitted : Fall 2008

The objective of this project is to calculate whether there would be an algae bloom in a lake located in upstate New York. The growth of algae in this lake is caused by high concentration of phosphorous that diffuses to the surface of the lake. The calculations for this project are all based on Fick's Law, which are used to create a mathematical model of the driving force of diffusion for phosphorous. Empirical observations are also used to help predict whether the concentration of phosphorous would diffuse to the surface of this lake within a specified time and under specific conditions.

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