What makes river water clear?


What makes river water clear? Clear waters are characterized by low concentrations of suspended soil particles and/or algae, whereas turbid waters are marked by high levels of suspended particles that cloud visibility by absorbing and scattering light.


Why do two rivers not mix?

This phenomenon is due to the differences in temperature, speed, and amount of dissolved sediments in the waters of the two rivers. The Rio Negro flows at near 2 km/h (1.2 mph) at a temperature of 28 °C (82 °F), while the Rio Solimões flows between 4 and 6 km/h (2.5–3.7 mph) at a temperature of 22 °C (72 °F).


What causes river water to turn brown?

Erosion from river banks brings soil into the river, changing its color. After heavy storms, many rivers run brown from all the runoff flowing into the river. Clay can cause rivers to be murky muddy brown, or yellow. Algal blooms are naturally occurring overgrowths of algae caused by sunlight, slow water, or nutrients.