Current (hydrology) in the context of "Low water bridge"

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⭐ Core Definition: Current (hydrology)

In hydrology, a current in a water body is the flow of water in any one particular direction. The current varies spatially as well as temporally, dependent upon the flow rate, stream gradient, and channel geometry. In tidal zones, the current and streams may reverse on the flood tide before resuming on the ebb tide. On a global scale, wind and the rotation of the earth greatly influence the flow of ocean currents.

In a stream or river the current is influenced by gravity; the term upstream (or upriver) refers to the direction towards the source of the stream (or river), i.e. against the direction of flow. Likewise, the term downstream or downriver describes the direction towards the mouth of the stream or river, in which the current flows. The terms left bank and right bank refer to the banks as seen from the direction of flow, in the downstream direction.

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👉 Current (hydrology) in the context of Low water bridge

A low-water crossing (also known as an Irish bridge or Irish Crossing, causeway in Australia, low-level crossing or low-water bridge) is a low-elevation roadway traversing over a waterbody that stays dry above the water when the flow is low, but is designed to be submerged under high-flow conditions such as floods. This type of crossing is much cheaper to build than a high bridge that keeps the road surface consistently above the highest water level, and is usually deployed in semi-arid areas where high-volume rainfall is rare and the existing channel is shallow (which requires extra ramping on the banks to build a more elevated bridge and thus costs more), particularly in developing countries.

Low-water crossings are essentially elevated floodways, functioning like causeways under normal conditions and serving as limited fords during high-discharge conditions. They are generally considered unsafe for traffic during floods due to the potentially fast and turbulent currents flowing over the road surface, and can be dangerous even after the flood has receded because silt, mud and debris left on the road by the water can reduce traction and cause skidding risks for both vehicles and pedestrians.

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Current (hydrology) in the context of Stream

A stream is a continuous body of surface water flowing within the bed and banks of a channel. Depending on its location or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to by a variety of local or regional names. Long, large streams are usually called rivers, while smaller, less voluminous and more intermittent streams are known, amongst others, as brook, creek, rivulet, rill, run, tributary, feeder, freshet, narrow river, and streamlet.

The flow of a stream is controlled by three inputs – surface runoff (from precipitation or meltwater), daylighted subterranean water, and surfaced groundwater (spring water). The surface and subterranean water are highly variable between periods of rainfall. Groundwater, on the other hand, has a relatively constant input and is controlled more by long-term patterns of precipitation. The stream encompasses surface, subsurface and groundwater fluxes that respond to geological, geomorphological, hydrological and biotic controls.

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Current (hydrology) in the context of Liman (landform)

A liman is a wide estuary formed as a lagoon at the mouth of one or more rivers where flow is constrained by a sediment bar created by sea or river current. The hydrological term comes from the Russian language and is used in various national and regional languages for estuary lagoons all around the Black Sea and Sea of Azov coasts.

A liman is classified as either maritime or fluvial: "maritime" if its sediment bar was formed by sea current; "fluvial" if the bar is created by obstructed flow in a saturated river.

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LINKED FROM (PARENTS)
← Stream ← Liman (landform) ← Watercourse ← Watercourses ← Perennial river ← Perennial stream ← Ephemeral river ← Low water bridge ← Streams ← Low water crossing
LINKS TO (CHILDREN)
Hydrology → Water body → Water → Three-dimensional space → Time → Discharge (hydrology) → Stream gradient → Channel (geography) → Tidal zone → Flood tide → Ebb tide → Ocean current → River → Left bank → Right bank → Bank (geography) →