Back to results

University of the Pacific

The prediction of the temperature of small clear streams

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

<p>A theoretical energy balance model was used to predict water temperatures in small clear streams which have limited heat transfer due to ground water flow. The model was designed for application to coastal streams in central California to determine reservoir release policies that would improve downstream salmon habitat by altering stream temperatures. The results of the model are predicted to be applicable to small clear streams in moderately calm and humid areas throughout the temperate zone, where the winters are not prolonged, and where there is little ground Hater flow.. It predicts that all turbulently flowing wateracts ,. identically. It initially heats more rapidly than non-turbulent water, but reaches a lower asymptotic limit. The predicted water temperature was linearly related (in approximate descending order of importance) ·to the reciprocal of the square root of the thermal diffusivity of the substrate, the ambient water vapor pressure, the initial water temperature, the albedo of the stream bed, and the daily mean air temperature. It was found to have important curvilinear relationships with the angle of shading, the wind speed, and the depth. It was curvilinearly related to the latitude, but was surprisingly insensitive to it. It was insensitive to the annual mean temperature, and the range of daily air temperatures.</p>

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Master of Science (M.S.)
Level thesis:degree_level
Thesis
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Graduate Studies
Year dc:date.available
1977

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Crittenden, Robert Nelson
Contributors dc:contributor
  • Steven Obrebski

Subjects

dc:subject × 2

Rights

dc:rights

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Repository record dc:identifier
https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds/1943
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:scholarlycommons.pacific.edu:uop_etds-2942

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
University of the Pacific
Base URL
scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/do/oai/
Last updated
2026-07-24
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Crittenden, Robert Nelson. The prediction of the temperature of small clear streams. Thesis thesis, 1977. https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds/1943