Body of water
A body of water in nature is flowing or standing water. It is integrated into the natural water cycle.
The doctrine of the surface water hydrology is divided into Limnology ( inland waters customer) and oceanography ( Oceanography ). The doctrine of the underground waters is the hydrogeology.
Components
A body of water is in accordance with DIN 4049 from the body of water ( the water volume itself ), the river bed ( the enclosure of the water from bed and bank ) and the associated aquifer.
Water types
There are different criteria to define the types of waters. A classic layout is in the oceans (salt water) and inland waters and groundwater ( freshwater ). With the variety of water types, there are numerous border and transitional forms.
After location of the water body
Waters may be higher than the earth ( open water ) or underground (closed waters).
Underground waters may occur as
- Groundwater
- Groundwater layer ( aquifer, see aquifer )
- Water in caves (see phreatic cave )
A source is in this context, a connection between underground water and surface water. The opposite of a source is the sinkhole, where surface water disappears into the ground.
If a body of water seepage receives from the soil, it is a receiving water.
After position in the aquatic environment
In the hydro- geography, a distinction different types of inland waters and seas to the position in the aquatic environment and the extent of the water body.
Inland waters
A distinction watercourse and pond ( stagnant water ), which can each lie above or below ground. There are naturally occurring and artificial inland waters.
Aboveground watercourses (see also flow atomic number ):
- Current, very large river, which empties into a sea
- River, large river
- Bach, small rivers (see also Flume )
- Channel structures of transport ( artificial waters)
Subterranean rivers:
- Cave stream, watercourse in an underwater cave
- Fissure water
- Water pipes (artificial waters)
- Large -scale structures in the water supply and sanitation (artificial waters)
Aboveground standing waters:
- See larger water accumulation
- Reservoir (artificial waters)
- Pond, small and moderately deep, without inflow and outflow
- Pond, small and moderately deep, with inflow and outflow (artificial waters)
- Pond, regularly dehydration
- Puddle, briefly standing water
Underground Still waters:
- Cave lake, flooded cavern
- Cistern (artificial waters)
Most natural waters drain ultimately into the sea (see exorheischer river). Otherwise, it is endorheic body of water.
Seas
Seas are connected to each other standing waters of the earth that surround the land masses. The largest seas are the oceans.
A marginal sea is separated more or less from the open sea:
- Marginal sea, separated by chains of islands and marine thresholds
- Mediterranean, separated by chains of islands, land or sea thresholds
- Inland sea, connecting through a strait
Mainland near marine areas are called coastal waters.
After the flow behavior
The hydrodynamics is fundamentally different flume ( flowing water) and non-flow streams (see Still water).
When flumes are distinguished:
- Flows in open channels ( similar currents can also occur in standing water )
- Currents in closed clotting, such as phreatic cave systems or penstocks of hydroelectric power plants
- Seepage
Circulation types of standing waters:
- Amiktisch ( no mixing )
- Meromictic (incomplete mixing )
- Holomiktisch ( complete mixing )
After water levels over time
Perennial waters are surface water or sources that carry the water all year round.
Intermittent water fall partially dry, about active underwater caves and sometimes dwindling sources ( see hunger source). Further distinction:
- Periodic waters result in regular cycle of water, such as ponds, channels of snowmelt, meltwater lakes or rivers that are under tidal influence ( brackish water, backwater areas )
- Episodic waters run only occasionally water, for example after rains forming waters ( see also Arroyo ), overflows of bog and marsh areas, natural and technical outfall
After nutrient content
In Trophiesystem ecology four trophic levels are distinguished:
- Oligotrophic (low nutrient content)
- Mesotrophic (medium nutrient content)
- Eutrophic ( high nutrient content)
- Hypertrophic (excessive nutrients)
Regional water types
In addition, there are regional water type, to be determined by different, not generalizable characteristics and can meet with general water types. At the regional water types in southwest Germany are about the casting of the Upper Rhine area and the blades, inviting North West Germany, the Bracks canals and bet stakes.
Color of water
The pure water of a nutrient-poor, waters phytoplanktonarmen absorbed with increasing depth, the short-wave ultraviolet and violet as well as the long-wave red spectral components of the incident light, so that the water appears bluish. More nutritious waters with phytoplankton, however, appear greenish. On the other calcareous waters also act as Kalkseen and partly the Alps outflows, due to the calcium content of green to turquoise.
Dissolved and suspended matter (suspended solids ) such as iron and manganese compounds or humic substances cause browning of a water body and also often reduce its transparency. In particular, iron ( III) oxide hydrates ( ocher ) are deposited as a brownish precipitate, so less color the water, but the river bed. Iron compounds are also responsible for the red color of " blood flow " of the Antarctic Blood Falls.
Waters that lead to suspended solids of clayey- silty limestone, clay or loess with it appear cloudy. The difference is easiest to catch where schwebstoffarme and schwebstoffreiche waters flow together, such as in the upper reaches of the Rhine.
In the tropics, we distinguish the three main types of black water river (dark cloudy), White Water River (light dim ) and clear water river.
- Colors of rivers
Confluence of Front and rear Rhine
Confluence of Rhone and Arve
Confluence of Rio Negro and the Amazon (black water river and white water river )
Confluence to Ganges