Chapter 12 Final Exam – Flashcards
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hydrology
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the science of water at and below the Earth's surface.
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fluvial
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Processes that are related expressly to streams and rivers are termed
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drainage basin
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the land area from which a river and its tributaries collect their water
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overland flow
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first step of a drainage basin, flows on surface
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rills
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small-scale grooves in the landscape made by the downslope movement of water
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interfluve
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High ground that divides one valley from another and directs sheet-flow is called
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catchment
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water receiving area
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continental divides
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separate drainage basins that empty into different bodies of water
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open
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drainage basins are ________ systems
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drainage density
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determined by dividing the total length of all stream channels in the basin by the area of the basin
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drainage pattern
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the arrangement of channels in an area
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dendritic drainage
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This treelike pattern is similar to that of many natural systems, such as capillaries in the human circulatory system, or the veins in leaves, or the roots of trees
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trellis drainage
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characteristic of dipping or folded topography.
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radial drainage
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drainage pattern results when streams flow off a central peak or dome, such as occurs on a volcanic mountain
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parallel drainage
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drainage associated with steep slopes
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rectangular drainage
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drainage pattern formed by a faulted and jointed landscape, which directs stream courses in patterns of right-angle turns
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annular drainage
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produced by structural domes where streams seem to form a concentric circle pattern as they flow out along fault lines
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deranged drainage
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pattern with no clear geometry and no true stream valley occurs in areas such as the glaciated shield regions of Canada, northern Europe, and some parts of Michigan.
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superposed stream
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a pre-existing channel pattern has been imposed upon older underlying rock structures
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gradient
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The ________ of a stream is defined as the drop in elevation per unit of distance.
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base level
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The level below which a stream cannot erode its valley is
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discharge
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A stream's volume of flow per unit of time is its ________ and is calculated by multiplying Q=WDV
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exotic stream
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Stream of high potential evapotranspiration rates in arid regions may cause dish argue decrease with distance downstream.
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velocity increases
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As discharge increases in a downstream direction, _____ usually ________
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turbulent flow
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occurs in areas of high friction
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perennial streams
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flow all year, fed by
snowmelt, rainfall, groundwater, or some
combination of those sources
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ephemeral streams
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flow only after
precipitation events and are not connected
to groundwater systems.
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intermittent streams
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flow for several weeks
or months each year and may have some groundwater inputs
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hydrograph
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A graph of stream discharge over time for a specific location
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peak flow
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the highest discharge that occurs during a precipitation event.
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hydraulic action
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a type of erosive work performed by flowing water alone, a squeeze-and-release action that loosens and
lifts rocks
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channel incision
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The process whereby streams deepen their channel
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headward erosion
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The process whereby streams lengthen their channels upstream is called
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fluvial erosion
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in fluvial systems this is the process by which water dislodges, dissolves, or removes weathered surface material.
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dissolved load
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the material that travels in solution, especially the dissolved chemical compounds derived from minerals, such as limestone or dolomite or from soluble salts
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suspended load
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consists of fine-grained clastic particles (bits and pieces of rock).
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bed load
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coarser materials moved by traction
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competence
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a stream's ability to move particles of a specific size
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capacity
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a stream's total posible sediment load that it can transport
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degradation
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channel erodes during a flood
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aggradation
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building up of a channel through deposition
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undercut bank
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the outer portion of each meandering curve is subject to the fastest water velocity and can be the site of a steep
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point bar
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the inside edge of a meander where water slows down and deposits sediment
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oxbow lake
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A meander that has been cut off from the river
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graded system
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represents a state of dynamic equilibrium between erosion, transportation, and deposition
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nick point
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longitudinal profile of a stream shows an abrupt change in gradient
