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Surface Water part 2
Surface Water Hydrology
The study of moving water found in rivers, open channels, and runoff flowing across the open land.
the Ecological Zones
Littoral Zone
Limnetic Zone
Profundal Zone
Benthic Zone
Littoral Zone
near lake shore where adequate sunlight pentrates water surface to promote growth of plants
Limnetic Zone
open water area where light does not penetrate all the way down to bottom
Profundal Zone
bottom of the lake where no plants or light. Inhabited by bacteria, worms, mollusks, etc.
Benthic Zone
FORMS lake bottom; sediment region. Decomposition takes place here.
Seiche
Difference of water level elevation due to wind or atmospheric changes
Crater Lakes
formed in volcanic craters and calderas
Pluvial Lakes
created during a glacial or wet period followed by a dry period when the lakes shrink in size or vanish
Cirque Lake
Glacial debris block upper reaches of mountainous valley and is filled with water
Kettle Lake
created by blocks of stranded, buried or partially buried glacial ice
Reservoir
Human-made lakes by construction of dams or dikes
Dike
a barrier used to regulate or hold back water from a river, lake, or even the ocean
Laminar Flow
water flow of an extremely GENTLE nature as parallel sheets of moving water molecules
Turbulent Flow
agitated flow of water molecules that bounce off channel walls and each other.
Materials carried by river
Dissolved Lead, Suspended Load, & Bed Load
Dissolved Load
Material carried in solution, has no effect on stream flow.
Suspended Load
Material suspended by turbulent flow; called suspension
Bed Load
Material moved by traction (dragging, rolling, skipping in stream bed)
Saltation
the bouncing of sand grains as they are picked up, carried along, and dropped repeatedly by flowing water
Sediments are driven by…
Gravity, plate tectonics, and wind
River Hydrograph
a graph that shows how the rate of flow of water changes over time at a specific point in a river, channel, or conduit
Seiche
the difference in water level elevation in a lake due to wind or sudden changes in atmospheric pressure
River Discharge
the volume of water flowing through a river channel
water measurement
rainfall-runoff
River discharge
water storage in lakes & reservoirs
Overland Flow
the movement of water across the land’s surface, usually after rainfall or snowmelt, toward a body of water
Q=K*I*A
Overland Flow equation stands for?
Q= peak rate of runoff
K= coefficient
I= rainfall intensity
A= watershed area
River Discharge equation stands for?
Q=A*V
A= cross-sectional area of a channel
V= average water velocity
What instrument is used to calculate water velocity?
a Flow Meter
Water Diversion
Construction of dams, levees, pumping stations, irrigation
canals, or any other manmade structure that modifies the
natural flow of a waterway
active treatment system
a small, on-site water treatment plant that uses chemicals and equipment to improve water quality
Sediment pollution
Occurs when water carries too much sediment, such as dirt, rocks, and organic matter, into bodies of water.
What are problems with sediment pollution?
clogs up pipes and drains, and clogs up fish gills leading to suffocation.
prevents natural vegetation from growing in water.
cost of treating drinking water
nutrients transported by sediment can activate blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) that release toxins.
what are examples of sediment pollution preventive strategies?
sweep sidewalks and driveways instead of hosing them off
avoid mowing within 10 to 25 ft from the edge of a stream or creek.
*anything we can do to help keep soil from washing away!
