Past exam of the mathematics and the environment and mathematical physiology course of the University of Oxford / 2009 / A / 1 / ii / Solution

With constant lake surface area, raising its level by $dh$ changes its volume by $S_{L}dh$. The symbol $M_L$ in the proposed balance is an effective filling rate measured as lake-level rise per unit time, so the volume inflow is $S_L{M}_L$. Volume conservation givesThus the lake rises when its inflow exceeds channel discharge and falls in the opposite case. If an inflow were instead specified directly as a volume rate $I_L$, its contribution would be $I_L/S_L$; keeping these units distinct is necessary for the interpretation of $M_L$.