Department of Energy Argonne National Laboratory Office of Science NEWTON's Homepage NEWTON's Homepage
NEWTON, Ask A Scientist!
NEWTON Home Page NEWTON Teachers Visit Our Archives Ask A Question How To Ask A Question Question of the Week Our Expert Scientists Volunteer at NEWTON! Frequently Asked Questions Referencing NEWTON About NEWTON About Ask A Scientist Education At Argonne River Foam 
Name: Dean
Status: Student
Grade: Other
Location: CT
Country: United States
Date: May 2007
Question:
What is the white foam around rocks in fast moving rivers?


Replies:
Dean,

Foam forms when gases are trapped in water as bubbles and these bubbles are stabilized (do not readily burst). Many substances can cause the stabilization of air bubbles in water. Naturally occurring organic compounds, wastes dumped into rivers, detritus from river organisms - all of these can cause the bubbles to stabilize and not burst readily. It is not so much that organic compounds are present only in fast moving rivers. Rather, since bubbles form more readily in roiling water (where air and water are mixed because of the turbulence of the water) we get more bubbles formed in turbulent rivers and these bubbles are then stabilized by the presence of organic compounds.

Greg (Roberto Gregorius)


Click here to return to the Environmental and Earth Science Archives

NEWTON is an electronic community for Science, Math, and Computer Science K-12 Educators, sponsored and operated by Argonne National Laboratory's Educational Programs, Andrew Skipor, Ph.D., Head of Educational Programs.

For assistance with NEWTON contact a System Operator (help@newton.dep.anl.gov), or at Argonne's Educational Programs

NEWTON AND ASK A SCIENTIST
Educational Programs
Building 360
9700 S. Cass Ave.
Argonne, Illinois
60439-4845, USA
Update: June 2012
Weclome To Newton

Argonne National Laboratory