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 S Contents 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 Biology.................................255 Marine Geology and Geophysics...................259 Deep Ocean Drilling (box) .....................262 Submersibles, ROVs, and AUVs (box) ............263 Oceanography .................................264 Float Research: Athletic Shoe and Rubber Duck Spills (box).............................268 Remote Sensing ................................270 Impact of Sound on Marine Animals (box) ........273 Chapter 9: Economic Uses of Water ..................275 Agricultural Water Use ..........................275 Agriculture in the San Joaquin Valley (box)........276 Aquaculture ...................................278 Catfish Farming (box).........................280 Salmon Farming (box) ........................281 Commercial and Industrial Uses of Water............283 Commercial Fishing (box) .....................285 Economic Uses of Groundwater ...................287 Dowsing (box)...............................289 Minerals and Mining ............................292 Manganese Nodules (box)......................293 Placer Deposits and the California Gold Rush (box) .296 Municipal Water Use............................297 New York City Municipal Water (box)............299 Petroleum Exploration and Recovery ...............300 Oil and Gas in the North Sea (box) ..............302 Residential Water Use ...........................306 Salt..........................................308 Shipping on Freshwater Waterways ................310 Freshwater Shipping in the American Frontier (box).312 Shipping on the Great Lakes (box)...............314 Shipping on the Oceans..........................315 Surface and Groundwater Use.....................319 Colorado River (box)..........................320 Tourism on the Oceans ..........................321 The Titanic (box).............................323 Transportation on the Oceans .....................325 Whaling ......................................329 Chapter 10: Recreational Uses of Water ...............333 Dangerous Waters ..............................333 Hypothermia (box) ...........................335 viii U•X•L Encyclopedia of Water Science water_fm 10/20/04 10:54 AM Page ix Lost at Sea (box) .............................338 Mines (box).................................339 Recreation in and on Freshwaters..................341 Swimming (box) .............................342 Water Skiing and Wakeboarding (box)............343 Whitewater Rafting (box) ......................345 Recreation in and on the Oceans...................347 Swimming the English Channel (box) ............348 Chapter 11: History and Culture.....................351 Arid Climates..................................351 Las Vegas Water Use (box) .....................353 Exploration of the Oceans........................354 Cousteau and Calypso (box)....................357 Beebe Expeditions (box).......................358 Water and Cultures in the Ancient World............361 Ancient Egypt and the Nile River (box) ...........363 Ancient Polynesians (box)......................364 Southwestern Native Americans (box) ............366 Water and Cultures in the Modern World............369 Life Below Sea Level in the Netherlands (box)......370 Joining Waters: The Impact of Canals (box)........373 Where to Learn More..............................li Index...........................................lvii Volume 3: Issues Reader’s Guide..................................xiii Words to Know..................................xvii Research and Activity Ideas.......................xlv Chapter 12: Environmental Issues....................377 Acid Rain .....................................377 Art and Acid Rain (box) .......................378 Black Forest (box)............................382 Beach Erosion .................................383 Carolina Outer Banks (box) ....................385 Coastal Development Laws and Acts (box) ........386 Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metals..................387 Eating Tuna (box) ............................389 Desertification .................................390 1930s U.S. Dustbowl (box).....................391 Eutrophication.................................394 Gulf of Mexico (box)..........................396 Floods and Flood Control........................397 Venice in Peril (box) ..........................401 Contents ix water_fm 10/20/04 10:54 AM Page x Global Climate Change ..........................404 Arctic Melting (box) ..........................406 Kyoto Treaty (box) ...........................408 Groundwater ..................................411 Habitat Loss and Species Extinction ................414 Kesterson National Wildlife Refuge and Selenium (box) ..............................417 Industrial and Commercial Waste..................418 Love Canal (box).............................420 Landfills......................................422 Non-point Sources of Pollution....................425 Agricultural Runoff (box) ......................429 Oil Spills......................................430 Prestige Oil Spill Near Spain (box) ...............431 Exxon Valdez (box) ...........................433 Overuse ......................................435 Overfishing .................................436 Sediment Contamination.........................438 PCB Effects on Bird Populations (box)............440 Species Introduction ............................442 Zebra Mussels in the Great Lakes (box)...........444 Water Conservation.............................445 The Hetch-Hetchy Debate: What Use Is the Use of Wilderness? ........................451 Water Politics: Issues of Use and Abuse .............454 Ogallala Water Mining.........................457 Water Pollution ................................458 Sewage (box)................................460 Ocean Dumping (box).........................462 Watersheds....................................463 Chapter 13: Legal and Political Issues.................471 Endangered Species Laws ........................471 Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 (box)......473 Endangered Species Act of 1973 (box)............474 CITES (box).................................475 Exclusive Economic Zones .......................476 Fishing, Commercial Regulation (Fresh and Salt Water) 479 International Non-profit Organizations..............483 Nature Conservancy (box) .....................486 International Water Laws and Enforcement ..........488 U.S. Coast Guard (box)........................491 Strategies for Sustainable Water Development ........493 UN Role in Sub-Saharan Africa (box).............496 Surface and Groundwater Rights...................498 U.S. Agencies and Water Issues....................502 U.S. Geological Survey (box) ...................503 x U•X•L Encyclopedia of Water Science