Movie 8

An estuary is a 2-layer system with freshwater overlying salt water. Here we see how freshwater behaves when added to each layer.

This is the same as movie 7, but here we introduce water that is saltier than the upper freshwater layer. Example: Hurricanes can "throw" huge amounts of saltwater into coastal lakes. What happens to this water and what might its impact be?

Download the video (380 KB mp4 file)

Other movies:

• Movie 1 - Here's what happens when warmer water (green) enters the surface of a lake in winter. The second addition shows that the warm water is buoyant (less dense) than the cold water and therefore rises.
• Movie 2 - Here's what happens when colder water enters a summer-stratified lake.
• Movie 3 - Same as movie 2 without the dyed green epilimnion.
• Movie 4 - See what happens to the epilimnion (mixed layer) and thermocline during a storm. Did the lake mix?
• Movie 5 - Same as movie 4, but with increased turbulence. See what starts to happen when the class 5 tornado hits.
• Movie 6 - Shows how stream sediment entering a lake or reservoir deposits its load. Why does some material stay in the upper layer and some crash to the bottom?
• Movie 7 - An estuary is a 2-layer system with freshwater overlying salt water. Here we see how freshwater behaves when added to each layer.
• Movie 8 (above)