Concept in Definition ABC

The Hydrography is a branch of the Geography Physical that takes care of the description of the seas and water currents that exist on the planet.

Discipline that studies, describes and identifies on maps the water currents present on earth

And on the other hand, the word Hydrography designates the set of seas, lakes and running waters of a certain geographical area.

Among the topics of interest covered by Hydrography, the following stand out: the flow, the bed, the fluvial sedimentation of continental waters and the basin.

Water is one of the most important components of our planet and by case it is that its knowledge demands a study and specific knowledge.

The importance of water for life, its great presence on the planet and the various types

Waters occupy a notable percentage of the land surface, more than seventy percent, distinguishing the oceans that are huge masses of salt water that divide and separate the continents; the seas are also classified among those of salt water but have a smaller proportion compared to the former.

On the other hand, rivers and streams are smaller bodies of water that have a pluvial origin and are characterized by their fresh water.

Lagoons and lakes are also freshwater that form in impermeable bottom cavities and are fed by rivers and streams.

And finally the groundwater, which is what comes from rainfall in all its forms, either rains, hail, snow, among others, and the thaw that filters the ground through the permeability of some rocks.

This infiltrating water moves through the interior of the earth very slowly and through attraction of the same until it runs into an impermeable rock that does not let liquid pass and then it cannot continue with its path, for example, it accumulates in one place and forms what is called an aquifer, a mixture of sand, rock and Water.

Salty waters represent the highest percentage with 94% presence on earth, while fresh waters are a minority with only 6%.

For its part, watershed is he territory that is drained by a single natural drainage system, that is, a river that flows into a sea or an endorheic place.

It should be noted that it is a frequent situation that the hydrographic basin of a river is taken as a specific natural region, on which detailed analyzes of the specialties that holds.

Another prominent concept within Hydrography is that of hydrographic slope, which is made up of a set of rivers that have their respective tributaries and flow into the same sea.

The rivers that make up the hydrographic slope usually have similar characteristics.

Distinction of Hydrology

As usual, some confusion is generated that leads to a misleading and indistinct use of both terms, such as If they imply the same, it is worth noting that the concepts of hydrography and hydrology refer to questions different; hydrology is the geographical science that is dedicated to the study of the distribution and the properties of the waters found in the Earth crust and in the atmosphere.

Therefore, hydrology deals with studying soil moisture, glacial masses and rainfall, among other phenomena.

Is discipline It is in charge of preparing hydrographic charts in which the waters are represented cartographically, being identified with the celestial color. Waters are essential for the existence of life on earth and for life to continue to exist; animals, plants and humans we need it to live and for example, human settlements have been found since the most remote times always near some body of water.

They are also essential for economic development, because they allow the development of various activities associated with it.

Topics in Hydrography