Physical Geography of Water, KER-MIT
Whether it's Lake Michigan, the Gulf of Panama, or the River Thames, bodies of water of all shapes and sizes can be found around the globe, and they play a critical role for human beings, who use such bodies of water as a source of drinking water, a means of transporting both goods and people themselves, or a place to engage in water sports, among a plethora of other possible uses. Additionally, many bodies of water provide striking scenes of natural beauty and house important marine ecosystems. Satiate your thirst for knowledge about Earth's oceans, lakes, seas, rivers, waterfalls, bays, and more.
Physical Geography of Water Encyclopedia Articles By Title
Kerala Plains, narrow strip of coastland, southwestern India, fronting the Arabian Sea to the west and constituting......
Kermadec Trench, submarine trench in the floor of the South Pacific Ocean, about 750 mi (1,200 km) in length, forming......
Keweenaw Bay, inlet of southern Lake Superior, indenting for 22 miles (35 km) the coast of the Upper Peninsula......
Gulf of Khambhat, trumpet-shaped gulf of the Arabian Sea, indenting northward the coast of Gujarat state, western......
Gulf of Khaniá, gulf on the northwestern coast of Crete (Modern Greek: Kríti), Greece. It is enclosed on the west......
Khone Falls, series of cataracts on the Mekong River, extreme southern Laos, on the Cambodian border. The falls......
Kiel Canal, important waterway in northern Germany, extending eastward for 98 km (61 miles) to connect the North......
King George Sound, one of the finest natural harbours of Western Australia’s south coast. An inlet of the Indian......
King Sound, inlet of the Indian Ocean, northern Western Australia, measuring 90 miles by 35 miles (145 km by 56......
Kinguélé, waterfall and site of a hydroelectric complex on the Mbei River of Gabon. Kinguélé is situated near Kango......
Gulf of Kiparissía, broad inlet of the Ionian Sea (Modern Greek: Ióvio Pélagos) of the western Peloponnese (Pelopónnisos),......
Koko Head, cape and landmark, Honolulu county, on the southeastern coast of Oahu island, Hawaii, U.S. It lies across......
Kongs Fjord, inlet, Spitsbergen island (Norway), Arctic Ocean. Kongs Fjord is an arm of the Arctic Ocean measuring......
Korea Bay, inlet that forms the northeastern arm of the Yellow Sea between the Liao-tung Peninsula (in Liaoning......
North Korea Cold Current, surface oceanic current flowing southward east of Korea near Vladivostok, Russia. The......
Korea Strait, passage of the northwest Pacific extending northeast from the East China Sea to the Sea of Japan......
East Korea Warm Current, surface oceanic current, the northward-flowing branch of the Tsushima Current in the Sea......
Koro Sea, submarine depression in the floor of the South Pacific Ocean. The sea reaches a depth of more than 9,600......
Gulf of Kotor, winding, fjordlike inlet of the Adriatic coast, Montenegro. A fine natural harbour, it comprises......
Krimmler Waterfall, waterfall on the Krimmler River, a tributary of the upper Salzach, in Bundesland (federal state)......
Kukenaam Falls, high waterfalls on the Guyana-Venezuelan border. They spring from a table mountain, Kukenaam (8,620......
Kuril Trench, deep submarine depression in the western Pacific Ocean, situated on the east side of the Kamchatka......
Kuroshio, strong surface oceanic current of the Pacific Ocean, the northeasterly flowing continuation of the Pacific......
La Niña, cyclic counterpart to El Niño, consisting of a cooling of surface waters of the Pacific Ocean along the......
La Perouse Strait, international waterway between the islands of Sakhalin (Russia) and Hokkaido (Japan). The strait,......
Labrador Current, surface oceanic current flowing southward along the west side of the Labrador Sea. Originating......
Labrador Sea, northwestern arm of the North Atlantic Ocean, between Labrador, Canada (southwest), and Greenland......
Gulf of Laconia, large, deep gulf on the southern Ionian Sea (Modern Greek: Ióvio Pélagos) embraced by the two......
lagoon, area of relatively shallow, quiet water situated in a coastal environment and having access to the sea......
Lake Washington Ship Canal, waterway, Seattle, Washington, U.S., 8 miles (13 km) long, with a minimum depth of......
Lancaster Sound, western arm of Baffin Bay (an inlet of the North Atlantic Ocean), in north-central Baffin region,......
Laptev Sea, marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean off the coast of Northern Siberia (Russia), bounded by the Taymyr......
Las Marismas, coastal marshes along the Guadalquivir estuary in the comunidad autónoma (autonomous community) of......
Laurentian Trough, submarine glacial trough in the eastern continental shelf of North America, the most impressive......
Leucothea, (Greek: White Goddess [of the Foam]), in Greek mythology, a sea goddess first mentioned in Homer’s Odyssey,......
Ligurian Sea, arm of the Mediterranean Sea indenting the northwestern coast of Italy. It extends between Liguria......
Limfjorden, strait (110 miles [180 km] long) across northern Jutland, Denmark, connecting the North Sea and the......
Limmen Bight, inlet of the Gulf of Carpentaria, in the northeast coast of Northern Territory, Australia. It extends......
Limón Bay, natural harbour of the Caribbean Sea, in Panama at the north end of the Panama Canal. Approximately......
Ling Canal, ancient canal in the northern part of the Zhuang Autonomous Region of Guangxi, southeastern China.......
Lingayen Gulf, large inlet of the South China Sea that indents the western coast of central Luzon, Philippines,......
Gulf of Lion, gulf of the Mediterranean Sea, extending along the coast of southern France from the Spanish border......
Bays and gulfs are concavities formed by tidal erosion in the coastline of an ocean, lake, or sea. The difference......
Canals are used for navigation, crop irrigation, water supply, or drainage. This is an alphabetically ordered list......
A canyon is a deep steep-walled V-shaped valley cut by a river through resistant rock. Such valleys often occur......
A fjord is a long narrow arm of the sea, commonly extending far inland, that results from marine inundation of......
This is a list of waterfalls, ordered alphabetically by continent or region and by...
Little Belt, strait between mainland Denmark (west) and Funen and Ærø islands (east). About 30 miles (48 km) long......
Livingstone Falls, series of 32 rapids and cataracts on the Congo River, extending for about 220 miles (354 km)......
lock, enclosure or basin located in the course of a canal or a river (or in the vicinity of a dock) with gates......
Lomonosov Ridge, major submarine ridge of the Arctic Ocean. The ridge is 1,100 miles (1,800 km) long. From Ellesmere......
Long Island Sound, semi-enclosed arm of the North Atlantic Ocean, lying between the New York–Connecticut (U.S.)......
Lower Burma, historical and geographic division of Burma (Myanmar), referring to the southern coastal and delta......
Luang Lake, coastal lake or lagoon (thale), southern Thailand, on the east coast of the Malay Peninsula. The lake,......
Luzon Strait, strait extending for more than 200 miles (320 km) between the islands of Taiwan (north) and Luzon,......
Lynn Canal, narrow scenic passage, 3 to 12 miles (5 to 19 km) wide, in the eastern North Pacific Ocean, southeastern......
Straits of Mackinac, channel connecting Lakes Michigan (west) and Huron (east) and forming an important waterway......
Macquarie Harbour, inlet of the Indian Ocean indenting western Tasmania, Australia. A fault valley modified by......
Lake Macquarie, seaboard lagoon, New South Wales, Australia. It lies 60 miles (97 km) northeast of Sydney. Measuring......
Laguna Madre, narrow, shallow lagoon along the shore of southern Texas, U.S., and northeastern Mexico, sheltered......
Maelstrom, marine channel and strong tidal current of the Norwegian Sea, in the Lofoten islands, northern Norway.......
Strait of Magellan, channel linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, between the mainland tip of South America......
Main-Danube Canal, commercial waterway in the southern German state of Bavaria. Completed in 1992, the canal is......
Cape Maisí, cape, eastern Cuba, jutting out from the Purial Mountains to form the easternmost extremity of the......
Makassar Strait, narrow passage of the west-central Pacific Ocean, Indonesia. Extending 500 miles (800 km) northeast–southwest......
Makran, coastal region of Baluchistan in southeastern Iran and southwestern Pakistan, constituting the Makran Coast,......
Malabar Coast, name long applied to the southern part of India’s western coast, approximately from the state of......
Strait of Malacca, waterway connecting the Andaman Sea (Indian Ocean) and the South China Sea (Pacific Ocean).......
Maletsunyane Falls, single cataract on a tributary of the Orange River in Lesotho, 75 miles (121 km) southeast......
Malpeque Bay, arm of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, indenting the northwestern coast of Prince Edward Island, Canada.......
Manchester Ship Canal, waterway opened in 1894 linking Eastham, Merseyside, Eng., to the city of Manchester. The......
Manila Bay, bay of the South China Sea extending into southwestern Luzon, Philippines. Almost completely landlocked,......
Gulf of Mannar, inlet of the Indian Ocean, between southeastern India and western Sri Lanka. It is bounded to the......
Lake Maracaibo, large inlet of the Caribbean Sea, lying in the Maracaibo Basin of northwestern Venezuela. Some......
Mardals Falls, waterfalls at the head of Eikesdalsvatnet (lake), east-southeast of Åndalsnes, Nor. The falls consisted......
Mariana Trench, deep-sea trench in the floor of the western North Pacific Ocean, the deepest such trench known......
marine sediment, any deposit of insoluble material, primarily rock and soil particles, transported from land areas......
marine terrace, a rock terrace formed where a sea cliff, with a wave-cut platform (q.v.) before it, is raised above......
Sea of Marmara, inland sea partly separating the Asian and European parts of Turkey. It is connected through the......
marsh, type of wetland ecosystem characterized by poorly drained mineral soils and by plant life dominated by grasses.......
Massachusetts Bay, inlet of the North Atlantic Ocean, extending southward for about 60 miles (100 km) from Cape......
McMurdo Sound, bay off Antarctica that forms the western extension of Ross Sea, lying at the edge of Ross Ice Shelf,......
Mediterranean Sea, an intercontinental sea that stretches from the Atlantic Ocean on the west to Asia on the east......
Menai Strait, channel of the Irish Sea separating Isle of Anglesey (Ynys Môn) county from the mainland of North......
Gulf of Messenia, gulf of the Ionian Sea (Modern Greek: Ióvio Pélagos) in the nomós (department) of Messenia (Messinía),......
Strait of Messina, channel in the Mediterranean Sea separating Sicily (west) and Italy (east) and linking the Tyrrhenian......
Gulf of Mexico, partially landlocked body of water on the southeastern periphery of the North American continent.......
Mid-Atlantic Ridge, submarine ridge lying along the north-south axis of the Atlantic Ocean; it occupies the central......
Mid-Indian Ridge, submarine ridge of the Indian Ocean that is a direct continuance of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge; both......
Middle America Trench, submarine depression in the Pacific Ocean off the western coast of Central America. Extending......
Milford Sound, inlet of the Tasman Sea, southwestern South Island, New Zealand. The sound is a fjord, created when......
Milne Bay, easternmost inlet on the coast of the island of New Guinea, Papua New Guinea, southwestern Pacific Ocean.......
Milwaukee Depth, deepest point in the Atlantic Ocean, lying at a depth of 27,493 feet (8,380 metres) about 100......
Minas Basin, eastern inlet of the Bay of Fundy, protruding into central Nova Scotia, Canada. Up to 25 mi (40 km)......
The Minch, Atlantic sea channel between the Outer Hebrides island group on the west and the mainland of Scotland......
mineral water, water that contains a large quantity of dissolved minerals or gases. Mineral water from natural......
Minnehaha Falls, waterfall in Minnehaha Park, Minneapolis, eastern Minnesota, U.S. It is formed by Minnehaha Creek,......
Gulf of Mirabéllo, deep gulf of the Aegean Sea on the northern coast of eastern Crete (Modern Greek: Kríti), the......
Mirim Lagoon, shallow Atlantic tidewater lagoon on the border between Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul state) and Uruguay.......
Mittelland Canal, German waterway begun in 1905 and completed in 1938. It extends from the Dortmund-Ems Canal east......