Need a scientist?

[Sapheron]

Damn you Boneman, stealing my plot! I have quite a similar set up going in one of my WIPs, though mine is natural gas rather than sewage.

[seaside]

I have two ocean related questions.

Assuming you're on a planet based on earth (same rotation, size, etc.) will you get waves on both sides of a channel? I have an area of my world with two parallel islands about a mile apart. There's a channel running north and south between them.

Also, can rip currents occur at on the northern and southern sides of an island?

[Abernovo]

Hi, seaside. Waves are formed and influenced by combinations of currents, weather systems and terrain, so you would get waves on either side of a sea channel between islands. I used to live on an island with a 2km (1.6 mile) separation from the next island over. There were big waves. The exact form of wave may vary depending on the islands' situation in relation to other land masses, the direction of the current and to their coastlines and surrounding seabed. As to rip tides, I'll have to look at one of my old oceanography tomes. It was one of those subjects I only touched on at university.

I qualified as an agricultural and environmental manager and have worked in wildlife and habitat protection. So, if I can help with environmental questions, I will.

[ktabic]

Originally Posted by seaside

Also, can rip currents occur at on the northern and southern sides of an island?

Rip currents are (generally) caused by the interaction of the a receding current from a shore with physical features, such a a break in a sandbar. Since these can occur anywhere (sandbar and breaks in them) they can happen on either side of an island - they are normally in the opposite(ish) direction to the direction the waves are moving in. North or south doesn't come into it.

[goldhawk]

Originally Posted by seaside

Assuming you're on a planet based on earth (same rotation, size, etc.) will you get waves on both sides of a channel? I have an area of my world with two parallel islands about a mile apart. There's a channel running north and south between them.

You won't get waves coming in on the shores inside the channel. If they are running north or south, you would get waves running up and down the channel but almost none if they are from the east or west. If they come in at an angle they might bounce repeated off the shores and zig-zag down the channel.

[Rangerton]

I hope nobody minds me jumping in on this thread, but I have a similar question (so didn't want to start a new thread).

I'm at the very early stage of starting a story.

I've drawn my world map and the easiest way to explain (I hope) is as follows.

Take the flag of St. Andrew (flag of Scotland) imagine it standing vertically.

Now imagine that the four blue triangles(for want of a better/easier description) are the four kingdoms of this world. The white cross are the rivers, but in the centre of them is an island. I'm currently thinking that there are only two rivers and they start at the North and travel down to the centre, then meet at the island, to then travel to the South.

The question is, with the rivers meeting at the island and joining briefly, what way would the current flow around the island?

I want a strong, fast, swirling current all around the island, so it cannot be swam or crossed by boat.

Apologies to any Scots for abusing their flag

[alchemist]

My first thought is why do the rivers split again to form the lower half of the X? It seems very unnatural.

[Rangerton]

That could be a problem, I was thinking about having four rivers, but then why would they all meet in the centre?

Just open to sugestions, problems etc..


Thanks alchemist

[alchemist]

Actually, some googling tells me it's possible. See Phnom Penh

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...cation_map.svg

[Rangerton]

Hmm interesting, that looks good at least it can work. There would also be smaller rivers running off the main rivers as I'd planned.

Thanks again alchemist

[Venusian Broon]

Re: Saltired river world. I can think of a number of ways of doing it. Depends a how you imagine the land that's arranged about the rivers

When you described your map the first thing that came into mind is of:

- the 'Left-to-right' river being a huge Amazon that by the time it gets to the central island part hits a series of huge waterfalls - make it fast flowing and deep - so it makes it dangerous to cross (incase you get pulled over a waterfall of course!) Then...

- the 'Right-to-Left' river is smaller but forks a bit to the north so that the two forks make the central island, both joining the main river. To make them impassible, why not stick them in deep canyons?

- The big river can of course then fork after the island on its way down.

So there you have a central 'island' that's kinda a plateau and quite hilly.

I don't think physically you can get the water in the centre to rotate around the island. The main river, in my case, would run NW to SE (and SW eventually) and the other river would flow from the NE to join the main river, both arms going sort-of NE to SW. Hope that makes sense!



If on the other hand you want the central island to be quite low-lying. Then I think the above directional set up can still work - but no waterfalls or canyons though. The lower limbs of your cross could be two sea channels - hence making your southern landmass an island of sorts, and the central island a part of the rivers deltas. Then you could have treacherous tidal sands on the South of the river and big deep rivers all around it.

I'm sure there's other ways to do it!

[Rangerton]

Some more things to think about, hmmm the plot thickens

Thanks VB

[Arkose]

(stream ecosystem being my area of study)

Depending on what you want, you can argue anything with a river. The reason being is that a river/stream is always changing. A river naturally waves back and forth, or atleast puts pressure on different parts of the river eroding it and depositing that sediment at different parts. Only in rare circumstances are rivers stuck in a channel like form (Grand Canyon, human intervention). Mountainous regions will obviously have more channels, lower regions have more wave like structure. In the end though, the river with the most power makes the decision.

Back to the X. It can happen by having the left and right side rivers eroding the banks until it breaks through and forms a type of X.

The Problem: It will never stay that way unless humans keep intervening. The river that has the most "force" will decide the river movement and will eventually make a Y type of river.

Solution: Geological Time frame. No one can really tell how fast that river will recover and no longer be an X. You can argue that the rivers use to be apart but close enough that borders followed the X pattern and the river eventually formed the X (current time), and no one knows when it will cease. (maybe, use a line saying it was "gods will" for these nations to form these boundaries)

There are other considerations if your looking at a more realistic approach but it might be to much. (Slope, type of rock/sediment, how it is feed)

[Rangerton]

With your expertise confirming that it can happen, and the link that alchemist posted showing it happening, gives me reassurance that I can continue with my work without worrying about my map.

Thanks Arkose

[AlcubierreWarp]

Hello!

My name is Tom, I'm a 4th year university student who specialized in Computer Science and Space Science, although I'm stronger in the latter.

If anyone has any questions about Astronomy, Space Systems (Satellites), Physics, Satellite/Rover Instrumentation, or some other space related topics, I'll do my best to answer them.

While I'm completing my education, it's paid for by the Canadian Forces as I am a CF Officer, so if anyone has any questions relating to modern militaries and their functioning I can try to answer that too.