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Article: Stream, Hyporheic Zone of a
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- Water:Science and Issues
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CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Stream, Hyporheic Zone of a
The hyporheic zone is defined as a subsurface volume of sediment and porous space adjacent to a stream through which stream water readily exchanges. Although the hyporheic zone physically is defined by the
hydrology
of a stream and its surrounding environment, it has a strong influence on stream ecology, stream
biogeochemical cycling
, and stream-water temperatures. Thus, the hyporheic zone is an important component of stream
ecosystems
.
In the last two decades of the twentieth century, active research on hyporheic zone processes has expanded from small mountain streams to large rivers, such as the Willamette River in Oregon, and even to glacial meltwater ...