Volume1 10/6/04 10:07 AM Page 1 U•X•L ENCYCLOPEDIA OF water science Volume1 10/6/04 10:07 AM Page 3 U•X•L ENCYCLOPEDIA OF water science Volume 1 Science K. Lee Lerner and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner, Editors Lawrence W. Baker, Project Editor water_fm 10/20/04 10:54 AM Page iv U•X•L Encyclopedia of Water Science K. Lee Lerner and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner, Editors Project Editor Imaging and Multimedia Manufacturing Lawrence W. Baker Lezlie Light, Kelly A. Quin, Dan Rita Wimberley Newell Editorial Charles B. Montney Product Design Jennifer Wahi Permissions Denise Buckley, Shalice Shah- Composition Caldwell, Ann Taylor Evi Seoud ©2005 by U•X•L. U•X•L is an imprint or information storage retrieval sys- Cover photographs reproduced of Thomson Gale, a division of tems—without the written permis- courtesy of Photodisc by Getty Thomson Learning, Inc. sion of the publisher. Images (volume 1, sailboats), courtesy of Digital Vision Ltd. 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ISBN 0-7876-7617-9 (set : hardcover : alk. paper) — ISBN 0-7876-7673-X (v. 1 : hard- cover : alk. paper) — ISBN 0-7876-7674-8 (v. 2 : hardcover : alk. paper) — ISBN 0- 7876-7675-6 (v. 3 : hardcover : alk. paper) 1. Water—Encyclopedias, Juvenile. 2. Hydrology—Encyclopedias, Juvenile. I. Lerner, K. Lee. II. Lerner, Brenda Wilmoth. III. Baker, Lawrence W. GB662.3.U95 2005 553.7—dc22 2004021651 This title is also available as an e-book. ISBN 0-7876-9398-7 (set) Contact your Thomson Gale sales representative for ordering information. Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 water_fm 10/20/04 10:54 AM Page v S Contents S Volume 1: Science Reader’s Guide ..................................xiii Words to Know ..................................xvii Research and Activity Ideas.......................xlv Chapter 1: Basics of Water Science .....................1 Biochemistry (Water and Life) ......................1 Water on Mars (box) ............................3 Camels (box) ..................................6 Chemistry of Water ...............................8 Why Is the Ocean Salty? (box) ...................10 Hydrologic Cycle ................................12 Physics of Water.................................17 Buoyancy: Archimedes and the King’s Crown (box)...19 Chapter 2: Oceans and Saltwater......................23 Biology of the Oceans ............................23 Food Webs (box)..............................25 Hydrothermal Vents (box).......................26 Coastlines......................................29 Coastal Ecosystems (box) .......................31 Artificial Reefs (box) ...........................32 Currents and Circulation Patterns in the Oceans .......34 The Coriolis Effect (box)........................36 El Niño and La Niña .............................39 Fish (Saltwater) .................................43 Sharks! (box).................................45 Geology of the Ocean Floor........................48 Plate Tectonics (box) ...........................50 Tsunamis (box) ...............................53 v water_fm 10/20/04 10:54 AM Page vi Islands ........................................54 Hawaiian-Emperor Seamount Chain (box)..........57 Kelp and Seaweed ...............................61 Giant Kelp (Macrocystis) (box)...................64 Layers of the Ocean ..............................66 Upwelling (box)...............................67 Marine Invertebrates .............................69 Marine Mammals ................................74 Marine Mammals in the Military (box).............75 Keiko the Whale (box) .........................77 Plankton.......................................79 Red Tides (box) ...............................83 Tides..........................................86 Tides in the Bay of Fundy (box) ..................89 Waves .........................................90 Surfing the Perfect Wave (box) ...................91 Chapter 3: Fresh Water .............................95 Deltas .........................................95 Life in the Ganges Delta (box) ...................97 Freshwater Life ................................100 Diadromous Fish (box) ........................103 Stream Shredders (box) ........................107 Groundwater Formation .........................108 Karst and the Edwards Aquifer (box) .............110 Lakes ........................................113 Dying Lakes: Great Salt Lake and Aral Sea (box) ....117 The Great Lakes (box).........................121 Ponds ........................................123 Famous and Infamous Ponds (box) ..............125 Rivers ........................................125 The Amazon River (box).......................130 Stream Systems ................................131 Control of Nature on the Mississippi River (box) ...133 Stream Water Flow..............................136 Victoria Falls (box) ...........................138 Flash Floods (box) ...........................139 Chapter 4: Estuaries and Wetlands ...................141 Estuaries......................................141 Chesapeake Bay (box) .........................145 Wetlands .....................................147 Chapter 5: Ice....................................155 Arctic and Subarctic Regions ......................155 Permafrost (box) .............................157 Glaciers ......................................158 Avalanche Forecasting (box) ....................161 vi U•X•L Encyclopedia of Water Science water_fm 10/20/04 10:54 AM Page vii Ice, Sea Level, and Global Climate .................163 Collapse of the Larsen B Ice Shelf (box) ...........165 Polar Ice Caps .................................168 Endurance: The Shackleton Expedition (box).......170 Chapter 6: Water, Weather, and Climates ..............173 Climate.......................................173 Santa Ana Winds (box) ........................176 Clouds .......................................177 Ice in the Air, Pilots Beware! (box) ...............180 Monsoon .....................................183 Storms .......................................186 Waterspouts (box) ............................188 Hurricane Andrew (box) .......................191 Weather ......................................193 Weather Forecasting (box) .....................195 Where to Learn More ..............................li Index ...........................................lvii Volume 2: Economics and Uses Reader’s Guide ..................................xiii Words to Know ..................................xvii Research and Activity Ideas.......................xlv Chapter 7: Science and Technology...................199 Aqueducts ....................................199 Roman Aqueducts (box) .......................201 Dams and Reservoirs ............................203 Three Gorges Dam: Triumph or Travesty? (box) ....207 Aswan High Dam (box)........................208 Desalination ...................................210 Hydropower ...................................212 Iceland (box) ................................215 Tennessee Valley Authority (box) ................216 Hoover Dam (box)............................217 Ports and Harbors ..............................219 The Port of Hong Kong (box) ...................221 Tide Energy ...................................223 Wastewater Management .........................225 Wave Energy ..................................230 Chapter 8: Science and Research .....................233 Aquariums ....................................233 Aquariums in the Home (box) ..................235 Ecology.......................................237 Hydrology and Hydrogeology .....................242 Contents vii water_fm 10/20/04 10:54 AM Page viii Limnology ....................................246 Lake Baikal (box).............................249 Marine Archeology..............................251 Alexandria Submerged (box)....................252 Marine