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Puddle

A puddle is a small, shallow accumulation of liquid, typically water, formed on an otherwise dry surface such as the ground, a floor, or pavement, often resulting from rainfall, spills, or leaks.^[1] These temporary pools are characterized by their irregular shapes and can vary in size from a few centimeters to several meters across, remaining stable until evaporation, absorption into the substrate, or drainage occurs.^[2] The formation and behavior of puddles are governed by fundamental physical principles, including gravity, which causes the liquid to spread outward and thin, and surface tension, which resists further expansion by creating a contact line where the liquid meets the solid surface.^[3] This balance explains why puddles halt their spread at a certain radius, forming distinct boundaries even on flat, impermeable surfaces, a phenomenon first rigorously modeled in the 19th century and refined through modern experiments.^[4]^[5] In natural environments, puddles often develop in depressions or microtopography, influencing overland flow and infiltration rates in hydrologic processes.^[6] Ecologically, puddles serve as vital microhabitats despite their ephemeral nature, supporting a diverse array of small organisms such as insects, amphibians, and microorganisms that rely on them for breeding, hydration, and nutrient cycling.^[7] They contribute to biodiversity by acting as temporary wetlands, facilitating processes like the concentration of minerals through evaporation—which may mimic early Earth conditions conducive to chemical reactions potentially linked to the origins of life.^[8] However, in human-altered landscapes, puddles can also pose risks, such as breeding sites for disease-carrying mosquitoes.^[7]^[9]

Definition and Formation

Definition

A puddle is defined as a small, shallow accumulation of liquid, typically water, that collects in low-lying areas or on surfaces where water temporarily accumulates, such as pavement, soil depressions, or rock.^[10] These formations are usually temporary and result from sources like rainfall or minor leaks, with typical depths ranging from a few centimeters to around 15 cm, allowing them to be easily traversed on foot, and diameters varying from several centimeters to a few meters.^[11] In hydrological contexts, puddles represent minor instances of surface water storage in natural depressions, distinct from larger water features.^[12] The term "puddle" originates from Middle English podel, a diminutive form of Old English pudd, which referred to a ditch or small pool of dirty water.^[1] This evolved from Proto-Germanic puddaz, akin to Low German pudel meaning puddle, reflecting its early association with muddy or stagnant water collections.^[13] By the 14th century, the word had solidified in English to denote these minor, often impure water bodies.^[14] Puddles differ from related terms in scale, permanence, and flow characteristics: unlike ponds, which are larger and more permanent bodies of still water (often over 1 square meter and holding water for months, potentially supporting aquatic life), puddles are transient and too shallow for sustained ecosystems.^[11]^[15] Pools generally imply deeper or more contained accumulations, whether natural (like tide pools) or artificial (such as swimming pools), exceeding the superficial nature of puddles.^[16] In contrast, rivulets describe narrow, flowing streams of water rather than static pools.^[17]

Formation Processes

Puddles primarily form when precipitation, such as rain, accumulates in topographic depressions or low-lying areas where water cannot drain away quickly. Rainwater falling on the Earth's surface collects in these sites, creating shallow pools that range from a few centimeters to meters in diameter, depending on the volume of rainfall and the surrounding terrain. This process is a key component of the hydrological cycle, where precipitation interacts with surface features to produce temporary water bodies.^[18] Secondary mechanisms contribute to puddle formation beyond direct rainfall. Melting snow and ice, particularly during seasonal thaws, release stored water that flows and pools in similar low areas or on impervious substrates, often exacerbating runoff in regions with heavy winter accumulation.^[19] Groundwater seepage occurs when subsurface water emerges through soil or rock fissures, forming surface pools especially in areas with high water tables or during periods of elevated pressure from saturated aquifers.^[20] Additionally, artificial triggers like leaks from irrigation systems, which allow pressurized water to escape and accumulate, and spills from human activities—such as vehicle washing or industrial discharges—can create localized puddles on paved or compacted surfaces.^[21] Surface permeability plays a critical role in enabling puddle formation by determining whether water infiltrates the ground or remains on the surface. Impermeable materials, including concrete, asphalt, rock outcrops, and dense clay soils, resist water penetration due to low porosity and high compaction, leading to surface pooling as runoff accumulates without absorption. For instance, in urban environments, built surfaces like roads and sidewalks act as barriers, channeling rainwater into puddles until evaporation or drainage occurs. In natural settings, layers of less permeable bedrock or soil, such as those underlying sandstone formations, cause water to pond above them after percolating through overlying strata.^[22]^[23] As transient hydrological features, puddles typically persist for minutes to days, with their lifespan governed by environmental conditions that influence evaporation and infiltration rates. In arid or hot climates with low humidity and high temperatures, evaporation accelerates due to increased molecular energy, causing small puddles to dissipate rapidly—often within hours—as water vapor escapes into the drier air. Conversely, in humid or cool regions, slower evaporation combined with limited wind and potential ongoing seepage can extend puddle duration to several days, maintaining shallow accumulations until conditions favor drying. Wind speed further modulates this by enhancing air circulation over the water surface, while surface area exposure affects the rate of vapor loss.^[24]^[25]^[26]

Natural and Ecological Aspects

Occurrence in Nature

Puddles occur ubiquitously in natural landscapes, forming in depressions where precipitation or surface runoff accumulates on impermeable or low-permeability substrates. They are particularly common on forest floors, where leaf litter and organic matter create small berms and swales that trap rainwater, leading to the development of micro-puddles that serve as temporary microhabitats.^[7] In arid regions, such as desert playas, puddles emerge after infrequent heavy rains, filling shallow, round basins with ephemeral sheets of water typically just a few inches deep; for instance, playa lakes in the southern High Plains form as runoff collects in clay-lined hollows during spring storms. Coastal tidal flats also host puddles, especially at low tide when receding waters leave stranded pools in mudflats and sandy depressions, supporting intertidal ecosystems. Similarly, in mountainous areas, natural depressions like sandstone potholes in regions such as Moab, Utah, capture rainwater to form short-lived pools that vary from small puddles to larger temporary bodies.^[27]^[28]^[29] Seasonal variations significantly influence puddle prevalence, with higher frequency in wet seasons or high-rainfall areas like temperate zones, where increased precipitation during events such as La Niña-driven summers leads to widespread formation. In contrast, arid and semi-arid regions experience rarer occurrences tied to episodic rains, while monsoon periods in savannas can produce larger, more persistent puddles from intense downpours. Geological factors further shape these patterns; impermeable substrates like compacted clay in playas or glacial till promote ponding by limiting infiltration, as seen in glaciated landscapes where meltwater or rain accumulates in low-permeability till layers. Volcanic ash deposits can similarly create temporary impermeable barriers, enhancing surface water retention in affected terrains.^[7]^[30]^[31]^[32] Puddles exhibit a wide range of scales in nature, from tiny micro-puddles in forest leaf litter—often just centimeters across and holding minimal water—to expansive ones in savannas during monsoons, where heavy rains can create broad, shallow pools spanning meters that persist for days. These variations highlight puddles' role in diverse landscapes, from subtle depressions in organic-rich soils to larger features in geologically constrained basins.^[7]^[30]

Interactions with Wildlife

Puddles serve as vital drinking sources for various wildlife in natural ecosystems, particularly where permanent water bodies are scarce. Birds frequently visit puddles to drink and bathe, with studies in tropical rainforests showing that granivorous species, such as doves and pigeons, drink more often than others, relying on these temporary water sources during dry seasons.^[33] In arid or semi-arid habitats, mammals like antelopes and small rodents access hydration from puddles formed by rainfall or dew, supplementing moisture obtained from food to survive extended dry periods.^[34] Insects, especially male butterflies and bees, exhibit puddling behavior by congregating at damp, mineral-rich mud to ingest salts and amino acids essential for reproduction and metabolic functions, a practice observed in temperate meadows where such sites enhance pollinator health.^[35] These shallow water accumulations also function as temporary breeding sites for amphibians and insects. Many frog species, including common European frogs, select puddles for laying eggs due to reduced predation risk compared to larger ponds, though success hinges on the water persisting long enough for tadpoles to metamorphose, typically 4 to 12 weeks.^[36] Similarly, temporary pools and puddles are prolific breeding grounds for mosquitoes, where females deposit eggs on the water surface or moist edges, allowing larvae to develop in the standing water over 8 to 10 days before emerging as adults.^[9] Puddles contribute to nutrient cycling by concentrating minerals and organic matter from surface runoff, creating fertile microhabitats at their edges that support ecological processes. This accumulation of silt, leaf litter, and dissolved ions from surrounding soil aids the germination of plant seeds, as seen in species like river red gums, where puddle moisture leaches inhibitory chemicals and provides necessary hydration for seedling establishment in otherwise dry landscapes.^[37] Notable examples illustrate these interactions in specific habitats. In African savannas, elephants enlarge shallow puddles into mud wallows by digging and spraying water, using the resulting mud to cool their bodies, protect skin from sunburn, and inadvertently transport aquatic invertebrates that boost local biodiversity.^[38] In temperate meadows, pollinators such as butterflies engage in puddling at natural damp spots to acquire sodium and other minerals, supporting their role in plant reproduction amid seasonal dryness.^[35] Climate change poses emerging threats to puddle-dependent ecosystems by altering precipitation patterns, potentially reducing the frequency and duration of ephemeral pools in some regions while increasing extremes in others. This affects breeding success for amphibians and availability of water for wildlife, with studies indicating heightened vulnerability for species reliant on vernal pools. As of April 2025, New York state has implemented protections for vernal pools to conserve these habitats amid climate pressures.^[39]^[40]^[41]

Human and Urban Contexts

Puddles on Roads and Infrastructure

Puddles commonly form on impervious surfaces such as asphalt and concrete roads and sidewalks, where rainwater cannot infiltrate the material and instead collects due to inadequate drainage systems that fail to direct water away efficiently.^[42] These surfaces, prevalent in urban areas, trap stormwater in low-lying spots or depressions, leading to prolonged ponding that exacerbates issues during moderate to heavy rainfall.^[43] Such puddles pose significant safety hazards, including hydroplaning for vehicles, where water buildup between tires and the road surface causes loss of traction and control, particularly when speeds exceed the pavement's drainage capacity.^[44] For pedestrians, standing water on sidewalks increases slip risks, as wet surfaces reduce friction and can lead to falls, especially on uneven or sloped paths.^[45] Additionally, puddles often accumulate pollutants like motor oil from vehicles, which mix with rainwater to form iridescent sheens due to thin-film interference of light on the oil-water interface.^[46] To mitigate these issues, urban infrastructure incorporates features like curb openings, grates, and combination inlets in storm drains to capture and convey surface runoff efficiently, preventing ponding near roadways.^[47] Permeable pavements, which allow water to infiltrate through porous materials, are increasingly used to reduce puddle formation by promoting on-site absorption rather than surface flow.^[48] In rainy cities like Seattle, permeable pavement systems are integrated into street designs to meet stormwater codes, filtering runoff and minimizing accumulation on rights-of-way.^[49] Similarly, London employs permeable pavements in urban developments to control flooding and enhance drainage in high-precipitation environments.^[50] Environmentally, puddles on roads contribute to contaminated runoff that carries oils, heavy metals, and sediments into nearby waterways when drainage overwhelms systems, degrading water quality and harming aquatic ecosystems.^[51] Poorly managed puddles and associated surface water also exacerbate urban flooding by overwhelming stormwater infrastructure, leading to localized overflows and broader inundation during intense rain events.^[52]

Children's Engagement

Children frequently engage with puddles through playful activities such as jumping, splashing, and sailing makeshift boats from leaves or paper, particularly in urban or suburban environments following rainfall. These interactions often occur spontaneously in accessible areas like sidewalks, parks, or driveways, where children don raincoats and boots to explore the temporary water formations. Such play is a universal aspect of childhood recreation, drawing children to the sensory appeal of water movement and sound.^[53]^[54] From a developmental perspective, puddle play supports psychological growth by enabling sensory exploration that fosters curiosity, enhances motor skills, and promotes joy, aligning with key stages in child psychology. For instance, during Jean Piaget's sensorimotor stage (birth to about two years), children learn through physical interaction with their environment, and activities like splashing in puddles encourage experimentation with cause-and-effect relationships, object permanence, and coordination. Studies in early childhood education highlight how this unstructured outdoor play reduces stress, builds proprioception—the sense of body position—and contributes to emotional well-being by allowing children to experience autonomy and delight in natural elements.^[55]^[56]^[57] Culturally, children's engagement with puddles appears in literature, rhymes, and media as symbols of innocent adventure and weather-related fun. Books like Puddle Jumpers by Anne Margaret Lewis depict a child imagining animal companions while leaping into puddles, using rhythmic verse to celebrate imaginative play. Nursery rhymes and songs, such as "Splashing in the Puddles" from children's media collections, reinforce this through catchy tunes that encourage movement and laughter. Visual media often portrays children in yellow raincoats joyfully navigating rainy days, as seen in educational videos and animations that promote outdoor exploration.^[58]^[59] While puddle play offers clear benefits, safety considerations are essential, with parents advised to supervise to prevent infections from contaminants in standing water. Puddles can harbor bacteria like E. coli or pathogens from animal waste, potentially leading to gastrointestinal issues if water is ingested or enters cuts; health authorities recommend avoiding play in heavily polluted areas and changing wet clothes promptly to mitigate risks. Nonetheless, experts balance these warnings by encouraging supervised outdoor activities, emphasizing that the developmental gains from such play outweigh minor hazards when basic precautions are taken.^[60]^[61]^[53]

Physical and Scientific Properties

Hydrodynamics and Physics

Puddles, as shallow accumulations of liquid on impermeable or semi-permeable surfaces, exhibit complex hydrodynamic behavior governed by the interplay of viscous, gravitational, and interfacial forces. The dynamics of puddle formation and maintenance are primarily influenced by fluid viscosity, which resists flow, and gravity, which drives spreading until balanced by other effects.^[62] Surface tension plays a critical role in shaping puddle edges and limiting their spread on clean surfaces. At the macroscopic scale, surface tension acts to minimize the liquid-air interface area, causing the puddle to adopt a configuration where the contact line pins due to intermolecular forces at the nanoscale. This results in a characteristic central thickness on the order of the capillary length, approximately 2.7 mm for water on flat wettable surfaces, beyond which further spreading is halted as the energy cost of increasing the surface area outweighs gravitational flattening.^[63] On wettable substrates, surface tension prevents indefinite spreading by creating a disjoining pressure near the contact line that opposes the gravitational drive.^[62] The stability of a puddle's shape is determined by the balance among cohesion (molecular attractions within the liquid), adhesion (interactions between liquid and substrate), and substrate wettability, often quantified by the contact angle \theta via Young's equation: \cos \theta = \frac{\gamma_{SV} - \gamma_{SL}}{\gamma_{LV}}, where \gamma_{SV}, \gamma_{SL}, and \gamma_{LV} are the solid-vapor, solid-liquid, and liquid-vapor interfacial tensions, respectively. For hydrophilic surfaces (\theta < 90^\circ), adhesion dominates, leading to flattened, circular puddle shapes that spread more readily; on hydrophobic surfaces (\theta > 90^\circ), cohesion prevails, resulting in more spherical or beaded forms with reduced contact area. This equilibrium dictates the puddle's overall morphology, such as circular outlines on glass due to uniform wettability. Gravity influences puddle flow, particularly during water entry or exit, where Bernoulli's principle describes the conservation of energy along a streamline: P + \frac{1}{2} \rho v^2 + \rho g h = \constant, with P as pressure, \rho as density, v as velocity, g as gravity, and h as height. This principle explains accelerated flow into a puddle from a higher source, increasing velocity and decreasing pressure at the entry point. For slow drainage through cracks or pores, Poiseuille's law governs laminar flow in narrow channels: Q = \frac{\pi r^4 \Delta P}{8 \eta L}, where Q is volume flow rate, r is channel radius, \Delta P is pressure difference, \eta is viscosity, and L is length; this predicts highly sensitive drainage rates to crack dimensions, often resulting in gradual seepage./12%3A_Fluid_Dynamics_and_Its_Biological_and_Medical_Applications/12.04%3A_Viscosity_and_Laminar_Flow_Poiseuilles_Law) When an object, such as a foot, impacts a puddle, the splashing mechanics involve rapid kinetic energy transfer from the object to the liquid, leading to deformation, sheet formation, and droplet ejection. The impact generates a high-speed radial flow, with energy dissipation through viscosity and surface tension determining splash threshold; for instance, the Weber number \We = \frac{\rho v^2 D}{\gamma} (where D is impactor diameter) quantifies the balance between inertia and surface tension, promoting splashing above a critical value. This process ejects fine droplets via crown splash or prompt splash mechanisms, influenced by the puddle depth and impact velocity.

Evaporation and Environmental Factors

The evaporation rate from a puddle surface is fundamentally driven by the vapor pressure deficit between the saturated air at the water interface and the ambient atmosphere, with the process influenced by atmospheric transport across the boundary layer. A simplified theoretical form of the evaporation flux E (in units of mass per unit area per time) can be expressed as E = k \cdot \frac{\Delta e}{\delta}, where k is a diffusion constant, \Delta e is the vapor pressure deficit (the difference between saturation vapor pressure at the water temperature and actual vapor pressure), and \delta is the thickness of the aerodynamic boundary layer above the surface. Wind speed reduces \delta, thereby enhancing E; elevated temperatures increase the saturation vapor pressure, widening \Delta e; and low humidity further amplifies \Delta e by lowering ambient vapor pressure. Empirically, for practical estimation from open water bodies like puddles, the rate is often modeled as E = (25 + 19v) \cdot A \cdot (x_s - x), where v is wind speed in m/s, A is surface area in m², x_s is the saturation humidity ratio at water temperature, and x is ambient humidity ratio (in kg water/kg dry air), yielding E in kg/h.^[64]^[65] Climatic conditions profoundly affect puddle persistence through variations in evaporation dynamics. In arid regions such as deserts, where relative humidity is often below 20% and daytime temperatures exceed 40°C, puddles can dry completely within hours due to high \Delta e and wind exposure. Conversely, in humid tropical environments with relative humidity frequently above 80%, evaporation is suppressed, allowing shallow puddles to persist for several days despite similar temperatures. Global warming exacerbates these patterns by raising average temperatures, which projections indicate could increase open-water evaporation rates by approximately 16% globally by the end of the 21st century, leading to shorter puddle lifespans in non-humid areas and potential shifts in water availability for ecological systems.^[25]^[66] Contaminants commonly found in urban or roadside puddles alter surface properties and evaporation kinetics. Oils, such as those from vehicle leaks, form a thin hydrophobic film that acts as a barrier, reducing water molecule diffusion to the air interface and thereby decreasing evaporation rates by up to nearly 90% for certain thin films.^[67]^[68] Dissolved salts, like road de-icing chlorides, lower the solution's vapor pressure via colligative effects, slowing evaporation; studies show that rates from saline solutions can be as low as half those from pure water, with saturated brine exhibiting roughly 50% of distilled water's evaporation under identical conditions. These modifications not only prolong puddle duration but also influence solute concentration during drying.^[69] To quantify evaporation in field studies of small puddles, researchers adapt pan evaporimeter techniques, employing shallow, open containers (e.g., 10-25 cm diameter galvanized pans) filled to mimic puddle depths of 1-5 cm, with periodic depth measurements using hooks or rulers to compute volume loss over time. These setups account for local meteorology by integrating sensors for wind, temperature, and humidity, providing data scalable to natural puddle geometries through surface area corrections. Such methods have been validated for micro-scale water bodies, offering reliable estimates without advanced instrumentation.^[70]^[71]

Cultural and Conceptual Significance

Puddle Thinking

"P puddle thinking" refers to a philosophical metaphor coined by Douglas Adams in his 1998 speech at the Digital Biota 2 conference, later published in the posthumous collection The Salmon of Doubt (2002), where a sentient puddle marvels at how perfectly its containing hole fits its shape, concluding that the hole must have been designed specifically for it, unaware that its form simply conforms to the depression created by natural forces.^[72]^[73] This analogy illustrates anthropic bias, the tendency to perceive the environment as tailored to one's existence without recognizing adaptive processes at play. Philosophically, puddle thinking critiques the assumption that the universe is inherently suited to human needs, serving as a counter to fine-tuning arguments in cosmology that posit the precise values of physical constants enable life, suggesting instead that observers are biased toward noticing only life-permitting conditions via the anthropic principle.^[73] In psychology, it highlights confirmation bias, where individuals interpret evidence as supporting preconceived notions of personal or species exceptionalism, overlooking how perceptions are shaped by survival-driven adaptations rather than cosmic design.^[72] For instance, the weak anthropic principle, as articulated by Brandon Carter in 1973 and echoed in Adams' metaphor, explains why we observe a universe compatible with our existence: only in such a universe could observers arise to ponder it.^[73] Popular essays and scientific discussions, such as those by astronomers Geraint Lewis and Luke Barnes in their 2021 paper, apply the concept to advocate for understanding human limits within broader cosmic realities, urging a shift from self-centered exceptionalism to appreciative adaptation.^[73] Critics argue that the analogy has limitations, particularly in overlooking evolutionary adaptation's dependence on finely tuned physical laws that enable complex life to emerge and conform to environmental niches, unlike water's universal adaptability to any depression.^[72]^[73] For example, altering fundamental constants like electron mass would preclude stable atoms, stars, or biological evolution altogether, rendering the puddle's flexibility an inadequate parallel to life's constrained possibilities.^[73] Thus, while effective for highlighting perceptual biases, the metaphor fails to fully address the improbability of the preconditions required for such adaptation.^[72]

Role in Legends and Folklore

In various cultural traditions worldwide, small bodies of standing water such as puddles have served as motifs for supernatural entities, omens, and symbolic reflections of transience and the soul. These temporary features, often formed by rain or streams, are depicted in folklore as liminal spaces where the mundane world intersects with the spiritual, harboring spirits that embody danger, mischief, or ephemerality.^[74] In English folklore from Northern regions like Teesdale, puddles and shallow river pools are the domain of hag-like water spirits such as Peg Powler, a green-tressed entity who lurks beneath green scum to seize and drown children or the unwary. Similar tales feature Jenny Greenteeth, a malevolent figure haunting stagnant waters in Lancashire and the Midlands, where she disguises herself amid duckweed to pull victims under, serving as a cautionary tale against straying near treacherous pools. These narratives, rooted in agrarian warnings about drowning hazards, portray puddles as deceptive portals to watery underworlds.^[75]^[76] Japanese yokai lore includes the amefuri-kozo, a childlike rain spirit who appears during showers, often carrying an umbrella made of leaves, symbolizing the unpredictable joy and disruption of rain-formed waters. This mischievous figure appears in rural tales to explain fleeting wet encounters. In broader East Asian traditions, such puddle-dwellers reflect water's dual role as nurturer and trickster. Among Native American tribes of the Great Basin, such as the Paiute, water babies—small, crying spirits known as paakniwat—reside in ponds, streams, and seasonal rain pools, luring the lost with their wails to induce visions or peril. These entities, tied to sacred water sources, embody the life-giving yet hazardous nature of ephemeral waters in arid landscapes, where puddles after storms become sites for spiritual communion or trials.^[77] Symbolically, puddles in global folklore often mirror the soul's introspection or life's impermanence, as seen in agrarian omens where bubbles rising in rainwater pools foretell continued storms, signaling cycles of renewal and destruction. In Appalachian traditions, even graveyard puddles hold "ghost water," believed to carry echoes of the departed for rituals of protection or divination. Regional variations extend this to creatures like the Squonk of Pennsylvania lumber folklore, a shy beast that weeps itself into a vanishing puddle upon capture, representing elusive sorrow; or the Mohán of Colombian indigenous tales, a shape-shifting spirit dwelling in riverine puddles to guard or curse intruders. These motifs underscore puddles' role as humble yet profound emblems of transition across cultures.^[78]^[79]^[80]^[81]

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a small amount of water or other liquid, especially rain, that has collected in one place on the ground
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Formation of stagnate water puddles. On impermeable surfaces where runoff has no drainage route, stormwater can puddle for long periods of time.Missing: poor | Show results with:poor
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II: HOW STORM RUN-OFF AFFECTS ROADWAY SAFETY | FHWA
Storm run-off can cause hydroplaning, water ponding, and water collection on the edge of the roadway, leading to loss of control. Poor drainage also affects ...Missing: risks | Show results with:risks
[41]
Hydroplaning - Texas Department of Transportation
Hydroplaning occurs when the drainage capacity of the tire tread pattern and the pavement surface is exceeded; water builds up in front of the tire and creates ...Missing: risks | Show results with:risks
[42]
[PDF] Designing Sidewalks and Trails for Access Part I of II
puddles pose a slipping hazard to sidewalk users and are even more difficult to negotiate when frozen into ice sheets in colder climates. The guidelines and ...
[43]
Oil, Water, and the Dangers of Spring Showers
Apr 12, 2018 · And then once the rain does come, the oil mixes and floats on top of the water creating a rainbow-colored sheen. Following the 2010 Deepwater ...<|separator|>
[44]
Section 5: Storm Drain Inlets - Texas Department of Transportation
Storm drain inlets include curb opening, grate, linear (slotted or trench), and combination inlets. Combination inlets combine curb and grate inlets.
[45]
Soak Up the Rain: Permeable Pavement | US EPA
Feb 3, 2025 · Alternatives to traditional pavement on our paved surfaces can help reduce runoff by infiltrating rain water and melting snow.
[46]
On-Site Stormwater Management BMPs - Seattle Streets Illustrated
Jan 9, 2017 · Permeable pavement systems can be designed to meet different Stormwater Code requirements. Two categories of permeable pavement systems are ...
[47]
Developing permeable pavements for a more sustainable built ...
Oct 3, 2022 · Permeable concrete pavements are one of the most promising mitigation strategies used to prevent surface flooding.
[48]
Common Pollutants in Stormwater Runoff and Actions that ...
Sep 25, 2023 · Impervious surfaces such as roads, sidewalks, and parking lots can accumulate pollutants such as fertilizers, soaps and detergents, and oil and chemicals from ...
[49]
[PDF] Protecting Washington's Waters from Stormwater Pollution
It's the Number 1 water pollution problem in the urban areas of our state, and it causes and contributes to flooding. Chances are pretty good you've seen.Missing: poor | Show results with:poor
[50]
Play in a Puddle on a Rainy Day - NAEYC
Rain puddles have an almost magnetic pull for children. They love to jump in them, roll through them on their trikes and feel the splashes on their legs.
[51]
Why puddle play is so great for kids + fun puddle activities
Mar 23, 2020 · Puddles provide kids with opportunities to learn about movement, the natural world, and play. Here are some tips for soaking up puddle fun.
[52]
Sensorimotor Stage of Cognitive Development - Simply Psychology
Jun 16, 2025 · Mental Representation: Children develop the ability to form mental images of objects and events, leading to symbolic thought and pretend play.
[53]
Puddles - Tales From the Sandpit
Jumping, stomping and stamping all help to develop gross motor skills, crucial before children can develop their fine motor skills which are essential before a ...
[54]
Why playing in the mud is more than just fun | Nature Play QLD
MUD PLAY CAN REDUCE CHILDHOOD ANXIETY AND STRESS – There is now scientific evidence linking the restorative effects of outdoor play, which can reduce levels of ...
[55]
Puddle Jumpers - Anne Margaret Lewis - Barnes & Noble
In stock Store nearbyPuddle Jumpers. 32. by Anne Margaret Lewis, Nancy Cote (Illustrator) Anne ... Rhymes, Nursery Rhymes & Fingerplays - Kids Poetry · Kids · Fiction ...
[56]
Splashing in The Puddles Song +More Nursery Rhymes ... - YouTube
Feb 10, 2020 · Splashing in The Puddles Song +More Nursery Rhymes and Kids Songs - ABCs and 123s | Little Baby Bum 3.5M views 5 years ago
[57]
Water Contamination and Young Children | US EPA
Aug 14, 2025 · Children are particularly sensitive to waterborne microbial contaminants, such as Giardia, Cryptosporidium, and E. coli, because their immune ...
[58]
Standing flood waters could be dangerous to kids playing them - WICS
Mar 26, 2018 · Doctors caution if pockets of water have been standing for a long period of time, the runoff in it could potentially contain bacteria or even sewer water in it.
[59]
Thin Films in Partial Wetting: Internal Selection of Contact-Line ...
Jul 17, 2015 · We derive a mesoscopic thin-film model that describes the statics and dynamics of liquid spreading in the partial-wetting regime.
[60]
Evaporation from a Water Surface - The Engineering ToolBox
Evaporation of water from a water surface - like a swimming pool or an open tank - depends on water temperature, air temperature, air humidity and air velocity ...
[61]
[PDF] CHAPTER 4 EVAPORATION - W. James Shuttleworth* Hydrological ...
Feb 4, 2021 · The rate of vapor flow is controlled by a boundary-layer resistance.24,57,119 Similarly, a simple representation of evaporation within soil ...
[62]
Climate Change Will Boost Global Lake Evaporation—with 'Extreme ...
May 2, 2018 · Global lake evaporation will increase 16 percent by the end of the century as a consequence of climate change, a new Yale study finds.
[63]
Oil Affecting Evaporation of Water | Physics Van | Illinois
Oil prevents water evaporation by forming a layer. Thicker oil layers and different oil types affect water diffusion, slowing evaporation.
[64]
Effect of Salinity on Evaporation from Water Surface in Bench-Scale ...
Jul 29, 2021 · The study found that evaporation from distilled water is twice that of saturated brine, with a 2:1 correlation between the two.
[65]
What are some ways to measure evaporation? | CK-12 Foundation
A simple pan evaporation method can be used to determine evaporation rate by calculating the volume of water lost over time. Other methods are used to measure ...
[66]
[PDF] Measurement of Evaporation Using Pan Evaporation - IRJET
The mean evaporation of the study area is 5.5 mm/day. Small pan evaporimeter was constructed by galvanized iron sheets of 245 mm diameter and 110 mm depth ...
[67]
Why the Puddle Analogy Fails against Fine-Tuning - Stand to Reason
Apr 22, 2021 · In a recent article titled “The Trouble with Puddle Thinking,” astronomers Geraint Lewis and Luke Barnes explain why this analogy fails.
[68]
[PDF] A User's Guide to the Anthropic Principle - arXiv
Any hole will do for a puddle. This is precisely where the analogy fails: any universe will not do for life. Life is not a fluid. It will ...
[69]
Water mythology - Lenntech
When captured and exposed to sunlight ashrays supposedly melt and only a puddle of water remains. ... Bäckahästen means brook horse; this was the name of a ...
[70]
FOLKLORE ON FRIDAY - Peg Powler - Hypnogoria
Sep 14, 2017 · Last week I was writing about a little piece of childhood lore concerning puddles - namely that where I was growing up in the North East of ...
[71]
The Legend of Jenny Green-Teeth | Christopher Fowler website
Aug 11, 2016 · The myth of Jenny Green-teeth, a pond elf or monster whose presence was indicated by duckweed; she was said to lure children into ponds and drown them.
[72]
Water Babies - Bow Seat
The legend goes that water babies, whose native name is Paakniwat, are mysterious and dangerous spirits that inhabit bodies of water such as lakes, ponds, and ...
[73]
Water Spirit Legends 1
But concerning the similarity of the words, their meaning can well reflect the view that water plays the same role for the Slavs that air does for the Germans, ...
[74]
Waters in Appalachian Folk Traditions - Holy Stones and Iron Bones
Oct 13, 2017 · Ghost Water is water from a graveyard. Whether a pond, puddle, gravestone, creek, or simply a bottle of water left there for a certain period.
[75]
Susquehanna Greenway Ghouls & Legends
A creature with many names, this elusive legend has been said to lurk in the waters of the Susquehanna River near Lock Haven in Clinton County.
[76]
The most terrifying Colombian myths and legends
They say that the Mohán has lived in the deepest and most dangerous puddles of some rivers and streams. There, he has internal caves or caverns that only he ...