Watersheds and Hydrologic Cycle
Compiled by Mark Francek (more info) at Carleton College (SERC) and Central Michigan University
Find animations showing the hydrologic cycle, how watersheds are delineated, and film footage of a trip down the Rhine River watershed.
Hydrologic Cycle and Groundwater Flow, Wiley (more info) : A QuickTime animation with accompanying audio discusses the main facets of the hydrologic cycle including evaporation, precipitation, runoff, groundwater, infiltration and the relationship between hill position and direction of groundwater flow. The animation concludes with the effect of a leaking landfill upon surface and subsurface water. The animation loads slowly.
Watershed Delineation, Michigan Tech University (more info) : This Flash animation first drapes a watershed boundary upon a mountainous landscape and then shows how, after rainfall, surface runoff becomes funneled into a hierarchical drainage net. The watershed's trunk stream leaves the confines of the basin to drain adjacent watersheds.
The Rhine: from Source to Sea, Wiley (more info) : This QuickTime movie with accompanying audio uses actual film footage to highlight the landscapes created by the Rhine from its upper course to its delta on the North Sea. Along the river's course it creates waterfalls, gorges, and floodplains. The concept of a graded stream is introduced and would serve as a complement to the graded stream animation in the next section. Users with slow connections can expect long loading times.
