ku # 824 ~ Autumn color # 43
Tuesday, October 12, 2010 at 10:09PM 
River foam / Oswegatchie River ~ Wanakena, NY - in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggenThe foamy residue on the shoreline is not the result of pollution. Foam such as this 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 and detritus from river organisms can cause the bubbles to stabilize and not burst readily. Bubbles form more readily in roiling water (where air and water are mixed because of the turbulence of the water) so we get more bubbles formed in turbulent rivers and these bubbles are then stabilized by the presence of organic compounds.
The foam seen here was pictured below the rapids in Wanakena, NY.
Reader Comments (1)
Yep. Foam like that really makes me wish I had a microscope adapter for my camera. Well, and a microscope. There's a lot of nifty stuff in there.