<descriptor thcode="2"><thesaurus thcode="2" name="USGS Thesaurus" scope="Topics and methods of scientific study carried out by USGS, with product types, scientific disciplines, geologic time, and types of institutional structure and activities.  Broad and shallow, used to help people find scientific information." creator="U.S. Geological Survey" rights="Public domain" edition="2.0" date="2020-01-09" codetype="number" prefix="topic" uri="https://www2.usgs.gov/science/USGSThesaurus" tblname="term" nonpref="nonpref" relterm="relterm" root_code="1" contact="pschweitzer"><category><term thcode="25" code="29" name="distinct labels" parent="26" scope="Preferred labels (descriptor texts) are distinct within the thesaurus. A concept can be specified either by its unique identifier (code) or by the text of its descriptor."/><term thcode="25" code="16" name="hierarchical" parent="11" scope="Substantive broader-narrower relationships exist among the terms."/><term thcode="25" code="13" name="transitive" parent="12" scope="Narrower terms have an &quot;is a&quot; relationship with their broader terms, and generally can be described as part-of, type-of, or instance-of the broader term."/><term thcode="25" code="21" name="disciplines" parent="2" scope="Broad categories of human inquiry or activity, such as scientific disciplines."/><term thcode="25" code="20" name="methods" parent="2" scope="Actions taken to obtain or analyze information"/><term thcode="25" code="19" name="organizational functions" parent="2" scope="Things that organizations do, typically including various types of programs, projects, and services."/><term thcode="25" code="7" name="temporal" parent="2" scope="Terms indicate periods of time, such as chronostratigraphic units, named historical periods or intervals surrounding known historical events, or seasons."/><term thcode="25" code="5" name="theme" parent="2" scope="Terms indicate domains of human concern, such as scientific discipline, societal problems, or characteristics of earth, space, oceans, and living things."/><term thcode="25" code="29" name="distinct labels" parent="26" scope="Preferred labels (descriptor texts) are distinct within the thesaurus. A concept can be specified either by its unique identifier (code) or by the text of its descriptor."/><term thcode="25" code="16" name="hierarchical" parent="11" scope="Substantive broader-narrower relationships exist among the terms."/><term thcode="25" code="13" name="transitive" parent="12" scope="Narrower terms have an &quot;is a&quot; relationship with their broader terms, and generally can be described as part-of, type-of, or instance-of the broader term."/><term thcode="25" code="21" name="disciplines" parent="2" scope="Broad categories of human inquiry or activity, such as scientific disciplines."/><term thcode="25" code="20" name="methods" parent="2" scope="Actions taken to obtain or analyze information"/><term thcode="25" code="19" name="organizational functions" parent="2" scope="Things that organizations do, typically including various types of programs, projects, and services."/><term thcode="25" code="7" name="temporal" parent="2" scope="Terms indicate periods of time, such as chronostratigraphic units, named historical periods or intervals surrounding known historical events, or seasons."/><term thcode="25" code="5" name="theme" parent="2" scope="Terms indicate domains of human concern, such as scientific discipline, societal problems, or characteristics of earth, space, oceans, and living things."/></category><altlabel><altlabel>USGSThesaurus</altlabel><altlabel>USGSThesaurus</altlabel></altlabel></thesaurus><term thcode="2" code="1124" name="surface water (non-marine)" parent="1308" scope="Open bodies of water, such as lakes, rivers, or streams.  All non-marine waters on the  surface of the earth, including fresh, brackish, and salt water."/><uf><usefor name="freshwater (surface)"/></uf><bt><term thcode="2" code="1308" name="water resources" parent="777" scope="Stocks of water, the liquid derived from precipitation. A constituent of living matter and necessity for all life, it covers a large proportion of the earth's surface."/><term thcode="2" code="777" name="natural resources" parent="1174" scope="Stocks of anything naturally occurring that have a beneficial use for man including economic, nutritional, recreational, aesthetic, and other benefits."/><term thcode="2" code="1174" name="topics" parent="1" scope="Themes, subjects, and concerns for which USGS information resources are relevant."/><term thcode="2" code="1" name="Categories" scope="Thematic terms for categorizing information resources.  This thesaurus is intended to support finding and understanding scientific information."/></bt><nt><term thcode="2" code="1002" name="river systems" parent="1124" scope="Long water courses including main streams and tributaries."/><term thcode="2" code="1743" name="surface-water level" parent="1124" scope="Height of the water surface in a lake, reservoir, or wetland. For water levels in flowing streams, refer to streamflow."/></nt><rt><term thcode="2" code="398" name="floods" parent="1667" scope="Relatively high water that overflows the natural or artificial banks of a stream or coastal area that submerges land not normally below water level."/><term thcode="2" code="419" name="freshwater ecosystems" parent="54" scope="Biological communities and habitats that exist in lakes, rivers, ponds, and other bodies of water that are not salty."/><term thcode="2" code="560" name="hydrology" parent="291" scope="Branch of earth science that deals with water as it occurs in the atmosphere, on the surface of the ground, and underground."/><term thcode="2" code="657" name="limnology" parent="291" scope="Scientific study of the physical and biological characteristics of inland bodies of water such as lakes and ponds."/><term thcode="2" code="810" name="ocean characteristics" parent="287" scope="The attributes and process of seas and oceans."/><term thcode="2" code="816" name="ocean processes" parent="101" scope="Recurrent natural changes that are physical, biological, or chemical, actively affecting the seas and oceans."/><term thcode="2" code="1072" name="snow and ice cover" parent="287" scope="Accumulation of snow or ice blanketing land surfaces."/><term thcode="2" code="998" name="stream discharge" parent="1113" scope="Volume of water in a stream passing a given point at a given moment in time, expressed as a measure of volume per unit of time, i.e. cubic feet per second, million gallons per day, or gallons per minute."/><term thcode="2" code="1113" name="streamflow" parent="1667" scope="A type of channel flow, applied to a specific part of surface runoff in a stream, whether or not it is affected by diversion or regulation."/><term thcode="2" code="1125" name="surface water quality" parent="1306" scope="Chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of water in lakes, rivers, or streams related to its fitness for use."/></rt></descriptor>