Everglades Information: Physical Parameters

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Definitions on this page were obtained from EPA’s website glossary at:
http://www.epa.gov/OCEPAterms/index.htm

National Weather Service Glossary of Hydrologic Related Terms:
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/hsd/hydefa-c.html

and GLOBE
http://www.globe.gov

Rainfall/Precipitation

Rainfall is the depth of water that crosses a horizontal surface over a given time period. Precipitationis the discharge of water, in a liquid or solid state, out of the atmosphere, generally onto a land or water surface. It is the common process by which atmospheric water becomes surface, or subsurface water. The term "precipitation" includes rainfall, snow, hail, and sleet, and is therefore a more general term than rainfall.

More information on Rainfall

Who Wants the Water and Who Gets It?
http://sofia.usgs.gov/sfrsf/rooms/hydrology/water/

Climate and rainfall in south Florida
http://sofia.usgs.gov/publications/circular/1134/esns/clim.html

GLOBE Teachers’ Guide – Rainfall Protocol
http://www.globe.gov/sda-bin/wt/ghp/tg+L(en)+P(atmosphere/Rainfall)

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Water Levels

How Has Managing the Wetlands of the Northern Everglades Affected Hydrologic and Chemical Interactions with Ground Water?
http://sofia.usgs.gov/sfrsf/entdisplays/waterlevels/

Flow velocity and water level transects
http://sofia.usgs.gov/projects/flow_velocity/

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Water Flow

Effect of wind on surface water flows
http://sofia.usgs.gov/projects/wind_swf/

Development and Testing of a Surface-Water Flow Model for Shark River Slough
http://sofia.usgs.gov/sfrsf/entdisplays/waterlevels/

Internal surface water flows FL96-620 fresh water to and from Native American Lands
http://sofia.usgs.gov/geer/posters/surf_wtr_flow/

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Turbidity/Transparency/Total Suspended Solids

Turbidity is the thickness or opaqueness of water caused by the suspension of matter. The turbidity of rivers and lakes increases after a rainfall. The Transparencyof water is a measure of the degree to which light penetrates into water and depends on the amount of suspended and colored material in the water. Total Suspended Solids (TSS) are a measure of the suspended solids in wastewater, effluent, or water bodies, determined by tests for "total suspended non-filterable solids."

More information on Turbidity/Transparency/Total Suspended Solids

Total Suspended Solids and water quality
http://kywater.org/ww/ramp/rmtss.htm

GREEN – Global Rivers Environmental Education Network
http://www.green.org/files.cgi/435_Chem_Parameters_Background.html - Turbidity

GLOBE Teachers’ Guide – Water Transparency Protocol
http://www.globe.gov/sda-bin/wt/ghp/tg+L(en)+P(hydrology/WaterTransparency)

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Electrical Conductivity

A measure of the ability of a solution to carry an electrical current.
More information on Electrical Conductivity

Conductivity and Water Quality
http://kywater.org/ww/ramp/rmcond.htm

GREEN – Global Rivers Environmental Education Network
http://www.green-network.nl

GLOBE Teachers’ Guide – Electrical Conductivity Protocol
http://www.globe.gov/sda-bin/wt/ghp/tg+L(en)+P(hydrology/Conductivity)

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Water Temperature

Temperature and Water Quality
http://kywater.org/ww/ramp/rmtemp.htm

Why Temperature Is Important
http://www.state.ky.us/nrepc/water/wcptmp.htm

GREEN – Global Rivers Environmental Education Network
http://www.green.org/files.cgi/435_Chem_Parameters_Background.html - Water Temperature

GLOBE Teachers’ Guide – Water Temperature Protocol
http://www.globe.gov/sda-bin/wt/ghp/tg+L(en)+P(hydrology/WaterTemperature)

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Air Temperature

Global Climate Change: What Does It Mean For South Florida And The Florida Keys
http://www.epa.gov/globalwarming/publications/impacts/epaconf/florida.pdf

Regional Evaluation of Evapotranspiration in the Everglades
http://sofia.usgs.gov/publications/fs/168-96/

GLOBE Teachers’ Guide – Maximum, Minimum, and Current Temperatures Protocol
http://archive.globe.gov/sda/tg/digmulti_maxmin.pdf

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Soils

Studies of the complex patterns of soils and vegetation in the Evergladeslead to a better understanding of the nature and extent of changes in the system.
http://sofia.usgs.gov/sfrsf/rooms/landeco/ecochange/studies.html The Krupa Seep Project--(Seepage)

Muck Soils for Florida Sugarcane Production
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/SC026

Calcareous Soils In Miami-Dade County
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/TR004

Soil Characterization of Selected Histosols
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/SC046

Water and Environmental Stress - Soil Subsidence
http://sofia.usgs.gov/publications/circular/1134/wes/soil.html

How do environmental histories of the Everglades help future management?
http://sofia.usgs.gov/sfrsf/rooms/historical/future/

GLOBE Teachers’ Guide – Soil Investigation
http://archive.globe.gov/sda-bin/wt/ghp/tg+L(en)+UP(soil/Contents)

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