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Estuary of Rhine
Here Rhine empties into Lake Constance (Bodensee)
Comments
From: barbatus
Is estuary the right word for that? See, for example, Webster's article on the word: http://www.webster.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=estuary Thu Aug 25 11:43:29 -0700 2005 From: tedder
What do you suggest? Lacustuary, perhaps?Thu Aug 25 12:24:43 -0700 2005 From: barbatus
Encyclopedia Britannica on estuary:
Thu Aug 25 13:49:22 -0700 2005 partly enclosed coastal body of water in which river water is mixed with seawater. In a general sense, the estuarine environment is defined by salinity boundaries rather than by geographic boundaries. Many coastal features that are designated by other names are in fact estuaries. For example, various coastal embayments, such as Chesapeake Bay and Galveston Bay, also are estuaries because fresh and salt water undergo considerable mixing. Moreover, most of the world's fjord systems are estuaries, as are large semienclosed tidal-flat regions and coastal marshes (e.g., the Waddenzee area of The Netherlands). Same source on the Rhine River and Lake Constance (emphasis mine): Below Chur, the Rhine leaves the Alps to form the boundary first between Switzerland and the principality of Liechtenstein and then between Switzerland and Austria, before forming a delta as the current slackens at the entrance to Lake Constance. So the main difference, besides Bodensee being a fresh water lake, is that there is no partially enclosed part of it, like a gulf or fjord, at the place where Rhine enters the Lake. I propose delta or entrance. Sorry for the long quotations :) From: tedder
This is such a meta thread, it's really funny.
Thu Aug 25 14:11:35 -0700 2005 I don't like "Rhine Delta" because it implies "where the Rhine empties into the Ocean"- such as the Mississippi Delta or the Nile River Delta. So either "Rhine Delta in Lake Constance" or "Rhine Lacustuary into Lake Constance". From: barbatus
Hee-hee ... how 'bout 'Rhine Constantuary'?Thu Aug 25 14:38:18 -0700 2005 From: tedder
But I'm not kidding- lacustuary is a real word, and I think it is probably apropos.Thu Aug 25 15:37:57 -0700 2005 From: barbatus
This is very Wikipedian conversation, don't you agree?
Thu Aug 25 15:56:10 -0700 2005 It's your language, of course, but if lacustuary is a fresh water estuary, there should be that 'partially enclosed' thingie, like a gulf ... but it isn't worth it, 'cuz you can't see it close enough anyway :) From: tedder
actually estuary wasn't my word to begin with, it was the submitters'. I think I'll leave it for now, since none of the alternatives seem completely perfect. Perhaps someone will come along and figure out a solution, or will at least see our blather and realize we are crazy.Thu Aug 25 16:18:01 -0700 2005 |
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