Spain rivers lakes and seas
Transcript of Spain rivers lakes and seas
SPAINRIVERS, LAKES
AND SEAS
THE LOCATION OF SPAINSpain is located in the south-west of Europe.
Spanish territory includes:
85% of the Iberian Peninsula
Balearic Islands
Canary Islands Ceuta and Melilla in North Africa
SPANISH COASTLINE
• Bay of Biscay (770km of coastline)
• Atlantic Ocean- Galician (442km of
coastline)
- Andalusian (294 km of coastline)
• Mediterranean Sea. (1663 km of coastline)
Spain is surrounded by water (6000 km of coastline):
STRAIT OF GIBRALTER
FRANCE
MEDITERRANEAN COAST
CANTABRIAN COASTAT
LANT
IC C
OAST
CANTABRIAN COAST
It extends from the border of France to Punta de la Estaca de Bares, in Galicia.
It is steep and rocky and has many cliffs and rias.
ATLANTIC COAST
• The Galician Coast in the north
The Atlantic Coast is divided into two areas:
•The Andalusian Coast in the south
GALICIAN ATLANTIC COAST
It extends from Punta de la Estaca de Bares to Portugal.
It is high, rocky and has many capes and rias.
ANDALUSIAN ATLANTIC COAST
It extends from Portugal to the Strait of Gibraltar.
It is low and sandy and has many beaches, salt marshes and dunes.
MEDITERRANEAN COAST
Catalan Coast: has both steep and rocky parts, and flat and sandy parts.Levante coast: is mainly flat and sandy.Andalusian Coast: has steep and rocky parts and flat, sandy parts.
It extends from the border with France to the Strait of Gibraltar.
CANARY AND BALEARIC ISLANDS
SPAIN’S WATERSHEDS
WATERSHEDS
Spain has 3 watersheds:o Cantabrian watershedo Atlantic watershedo Mediterranean
watershed
A watershed is an area of land that water flows over on its way to the sea.
Atlantic Watershed
Cantabrian Watershed
Mediterranean Watershed
CANTABRIAN WATERSHED
Their flow is regular and high due to abundant rainfall.
The rivers that flow into the Bay of Biscay are short as they start in the mountains near the coast.
ATLANTIC WATERSHED• The rivers are long and carry high volumes of
water that flow into the Atlantic Ocean.
Rivers that flow into the Atlantic Ocean can be divided into:
•Short with high flow due to abundant rainfall.
Galician Rivers
•Long with high but irregular flow.
Rivers that cross the Meseta
•Usually long with very low flow.
Andalusian Rivers
MEDITERRANEAN WATERSHED• Most of the rivers that carry water to the
Mediterranean Sea are short and have limited and irregluar water flow, except the Ebro.
SPAIN’S RIVERS
RIVERS OF THE
CANTABRIAN WATERSHED
NARCEA RIVER
Narcea River meets Nalon River
NALÓN RIVER
The longest river of Asturias. It has the most abundant flow
A valley through which it flows.
NALÓN RIVER, LANGREO
DEVA RIVER
Where Deva River meets the Bay of Biscay
NERVIÓN RIVER
Nervion River, by the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao
BIDASOA RIVER
RIVERS OF THE ATLANTIC
WATERSHED
GALICIAN RIVERS
MIÑO RIVER
Where it meets the Atlantic Ocean
SIL RIVER CANYON
LÉREZ RIVER
TAMBRE RIVER
ULLA RIVER
Xallas River is a rare example in Europe: it dies as a waterfall when it flows into the sea.
Unfortunally, an energy company keeps the river to itself and there is almost no water in the fall. The company delights us "opening" the waterfall 2 or 3 hours on weekends and during the summer.
XALLAS RIVER
The Duoro river has the most abundant flow in Spain.
ALEADÁVILA DAM, SALAMANCA
(Middle course of Duoro River)
TAGUS RIVER The longest river in Spain.
TAGUS RIVER IN MONFRAGÜE NATIONAL PARK
Its course has been altered by human activity: construction of reservoirs and Tagus-Segura water-diversion system.
Its flow increases in Portugal due to rainfall.
Tagus River in Alcántara
Tagus River in Toledo
TAGUS RIVERARANJUEZ, MADRID
GUADIANA RIVER
GUADIANA RIVERIt partly flows underground “Ojos del Guadiana".
La Serena Reservoir. The biggest in Spain
Guadiana River, Medellín
ANDALUSIAN RIVERS
GUADALQUIVIR RIVER
GUADALUIVIR RIVER, CAZORLA MOUNTAIN RANGE
GUADALUIVIR ESTUARY
Guadalquivir River, Seville
RIVERS OF THE MEDITERRANEAN
WATERSHED
EBRO RIVER
EBRO RIVER, ZARAGOZA
EBRO RIVER DELTA
LLOBREGAT RIVER
LLOBREGAT RIVER
JÚCAR RIVER
RÍO TURIA
TURIA RIVER
TURIA RIVER
RÍO SEGURA
Due to the lack of water in the Southwest the Tajo-Segura water-diversion system was constructed. This affected the Tajo, Guadiana, Júcar and Segura Basins.
TAJO-SEGURA WATER-DIVERSION
SYSTEM
THE SIPHON
BOOSTER PIPING AT BOLARQUE STATION
CIGÜELA AQUEDUCT
TAJO-SEGURA WATER-DIVERSION
SYSTEM
VILLAREJO CANAL
LAKES
There are 82 karst lakes
Spanish lakes are small in comparison to European lakes.
There are 444 mountain lakes
The biggest lake in Spain is Sanabria (Zamora)
The second biggest lake is Banyoles in Gerona
LAGOONS
The largest inland lagoon of shallow saltwater is Gallocanta in Zaragoza
The second largest inland lagoon of shallow saltwater is Fuentedepiedra in Malaga.
The Mar Menor (Murcia) is the largest salt water lagoon in Europe
Albufera (Valencia) is a freshwater lagoon on the coast of Spain.
RESERVOIRS
Spain has 11 Roman dams, 2 of which are still in use.
There are over 1300 reservoirs in Spain.
ROMAN DAMS (1st-2nd century AD)
PROSERPINA DAM, BADAJOZ
CORNALVO DAM, BADAJOZ
La Serena. It’s the 3rd biggest of Europe. Found on the Guadiana Basin (1985-1990)
Alcantara on the Tajo Basin (1969)
Almendra. Duero Basin (1970)
Buendía. Tajo Basin (1957)
Mequinenza. Ebro Basin (1957-1964)
WETLANDS
There are about 637 inland freshwater wetlands
Spain is home to almost all of Europe's saline steppe wetlands.
Groundwater extraction for irrigated agriculture has almost led to the loss of the internationally important wetland of the Tablas de Damiel
marshes.
Tablas de Daimiel. Ciudad Real
Doñana (Huelva) is one of the largest and most important remaining wetlands in Europe.
In April 1998 there was an accidental spillage of toxic mining waste, which contaminated a large area of these wetlands.
THE END
“Water is life's matter and matrix, mother and medium. There is no life without water.”
Albert Szent-Gyorgvi (Hungarian Biochemist 1937)