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-
Discharge
- is the volume per unit time that passes any
point in a stream. Direct measurement of discharge is not
possible, but must be calculated from velocity and
cross-sectional area of the stream, i.e. from the Discharge
Equation
|
(3.1) |
-
Velocity
- is the rate of water movement
(Fig. 3.5), but doesn't specify how much (volume of) water is
moving. The volume rate is needed to determine flooding, etc.
-
Cross-sectional Area
- is the area on a vertical plane cutting
the stream (Fig. 3.2)
-
Stage
- is the elevation of the river above its bed, i.e.
water depth
You've had direct experience with discharge when using a garden hose
with a nozzle. For a given faucet setting (constant input discharge)
water shoots farther out of the end of the hose (has higher velocity)
when a the nozzle is narrowed (cross-sectional area is reduced).
Velocity varies along a stream because of changes in cross-sectional
area, but discharge varies only if there is addition or removal
of water (e.g. tributaries, evaporation, etc.)
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GEOS 3110 Professor's Notes, Summer 2003
Dr. T. Brikowski, UTD