Simple mass balance model for lakes, based on the Vollenweider equation:
dMw/dt = Min - sMw - Mout
The model was first used in the 1960s to determine the phosphorus concentration in lakes and reservoirs for eutrophication assessment.
This version adds diagenesis, using an extra state variable (phosphorus in the sediment) and incorporates desorption processes that release phosphorus trapped in the sediment back to the water column.
The temporal dynamics of the model simulate the typical development of pollution in time.
1. Low loading, low P concentration in lake 2. High loading, increasing P concentration in lake 3. Desorption rate is low, P in sediment increases 4. Measures implemented for source control, loading reduces 5. P in lake gradually decreases, but below a certain point, desorption increases, and lake P concentration does not improve 6. Recovery only occurs when the secondary load in the sediment is strongly reduced.