What is brackish water?
Brackish water is saltier than fresh water but less salty than seawater. It can be produced by the mixing of seawater and fresh water, as in estuaries, but it can also be produced by certain human activities, most notably dikes and the flooding of coastal marshland. Because brackish water is harmful to the growth of most terrestrial plant species, it is harmful to the environment if not managed properly.
Furthermore, brackish water environments are constantly changing. The salinity varies with the tide, the amount of freshwater entering from rivers or rain, and the rate of evaporation. As a result, many brackish waters fish are tolerant of salinity changes, and many benefit from similar periodic changes in aquaria. The word derives from the Middle Dutch root "brak," which means "salty."
Certain human activities, particularly civil engineering projects such as dikes and flooding of coastal marshland to create brackish water pools for freshwater prawn farming, can produce brackish water. The salinity gradient power process also produces brackish water as a primary waste product.Because brackish water is harmful to the growth of most terrestrial plant species, it is harmful to the environment if not managed properly. Brackish water is found naturally in estuaries, river deltas, lagoons, and backwaters all over the world due to the tidal regime. The salinity of the water in such habitats varies greatly from negligible to 35 ppt, depending on the phase of the tide and the volume of fresh water discharged into the sea through the river.
Process of brackish water
Technically, brackish water contains between 0.5 and 30 grammes of salt per litre, which is more commonly expressed as 0.5 to 30 parts per thousand, corresponding to a specific gravity of between 1.005 and 1.010. As a result, brackish covers a wide range of salinity regimes and is not a precisely defined condition. Many brackish surface waters have a wide range of salinity that varies significantly over space and/or time.
Estuaries, where a river meets the sea, are the most extensive brackish water habitats on the planet.Brackish water, also known as salt water, is found in areas where sea water and fresh water mix, such as estuaries, mangrove swamps, and intertidal zones. Brackish water can be found in brackish fossil aquifers as well.
Humans, like seawater, cannot drink brackish water unless it has been desalinized. Salinization occurs when brackish water infiltrates farmland. Most crops are killed by brackish water. Because brackish water is unsuitable for freshwater or marine life, the variety of organisms that can live in it is limited. Flounder, chameleon shrimp, three-spined stickleback, silicon, and sea aster are examples of animals and plants that can survive in brackish water.
Where can you find brackish water?
Brackish water can be found in estuaries, lakes, man-made pools and streams, as well as underground in aquifers. Estuaries are the most common brackish water sources found around the world.
Man-made sources of brackish water include intentionally flooded marshlands for prawn farming and the resulting pools and streams from dikes, which are walls built to control the flow of water from rivers and seas.
Finally, brackish groundwater can be found underground in deep fossil aquifers. Groundwater can be brackish as a result of ancient seas, saltwater intrusion in coastal areas, or if water absorbs too many minerals, such as sodium and chloride, as it percolates into the ground.
What are some common uses?
Cooling water for thermoelectrical power, the oil and gas industries, mining, and other industrial uses are some of the common modern uses for these water sources. It can be used for agricultural irrigation as well as safe drinking water for humans and livestock after it has been purified.
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