What is a Slick Line?
Slick lines form on water when a very thin layer of oil spreads out across the water. The oil dampens ripples creating calmer patches. Over…
Tag: water
What is swash?
Swash is the name given to the waves that rush up the beach after a wave has broken. They are intriguing little waves that inhabit…
A Brief Guide to Overfalls
Whenever the tide turns, water heads from one area to another. This sets up a flow known as tidal currents. Tidal currents moving over a…
The Point Key
The Point Key From ‘The Point’ chapter in the book, Wild Signs and Star Paths, “If we see two or more animals are standing still…
The Colour of Water
The colour of water is determined by: A) What’s under it. B) What’s in it. C) What’s on it. D) And by light levels and…
What is Fetch?
The definition of the word ‘fetch’ is simple: The distance that wind travels over open water. But why do we need to know that? Spend…
The Skimming Effect
Have you ever enjoyed a good session of skimming stones at the beach? You know those times when the stone hits the water at the…
Shark Teeth and Currents
A sample of fossil sharks’ teeth collected on Casey Key and Venice beach, Florida, by Mark Evans. — I have written about the way sea…
Slick Lines
I noticed a good example of ‘slick lines’ in the sea from an aircraft the other day. These calmer lines are formed when a thin…
Water the Essential and Water Survival Box
My thanks to Vaughan James (pictured right) for a fascinating evening at the Shapero Modern gallery on Tuesday. Vaughan’s exhibition, Water the Essential, is a…
Newsletter Mini Challenges
I just sent out my latest newsletter (you can subscribe at the bottom), which included the four mini challenges below: Answers at the bottom. 1.…
Finding Water with Plants
Once we notice the plants that thrive beside water, we can use those plants as a map to find hidden water.
The Cuckoo Flower – a sign of damp ground
The Cuckoo Flower (cardamine pratensis), a.k.a. Lady’s Smock, is out near me. It is easily identified by its early blooming and four pale pink petals.…
Marsh-marigolds and Shallow Water
The Marsh-marigolds are coming into bloom around our pond. They are a little early, April being more typical. Marsh-marigoldsare one of the earliest vivid wetland…
Pin Holes on the Beach
When a wave breaks it pushes foamy water up the beach, this is the ‘swash‘. Some of this water flows back down the beach to…
The Sound of Water
Water on its own does not make any sound, it is silent. If we hear water, it is always ‘white water’, the sound of…
Times Review – A Big Splash
A new review of How To Read Water is in the Times today. The full review is on this page (behind a paywall). Here are…
Using Lichens to Navigate
This is a photo of the top of a historical stone post, known as a ‘staddle stone‘. Staddle stones were used to build barns off…
Ground Moisture
Happy New Year! At times like this, I sometimes wonder what the Earth and Sun would say to each other if they could talk. They…
Gayathri Tiffin Room
My book is on the printing presses – this is very exciting and an excuse for a quick plug in my blog! In the book…