Stream Drainage
Channels and Sediment
Rivers
More Rivers
Streams
100
the most commonly used stream classification system; developed by Arthur Strahler in 1952
What is Stream Order?
100
Geoscientists use this to determine if a channel is straight or meandering
What is the sinuosity ratio?
100
the areas of depression between hills or mountains
What are valleys?
100
describes the location of a river where there is a sharp change in channel slope
What are nick (knick) points?
100
this type of stream flows only during storms
What is an ephemeral stream?
200
a 12th order stream that is the world's largest river
What is the Amazon?
200
a stream channel that is divided into smaller channels by the accumulation of in-channel deposits
What is a braided channel?
200
the transition between river and ocean
What is a delta?
200
an area where flowing river water drops abruptly and nearly vertically
What is a waterfall?
200
the flow of water through a stream channel; it is mathematically defined as Q = V x W x D
What is stream discharge?
300
separates a drainage basin from other drainage basins
What is a divide?
300
the maximum load of sediment a stream can carry for a given discharge
What is stream capacity?
300
an area of nearly flat land bordering a stream or river that is subject to periodic flooding
What is a floodplain?
300
this fan-shaped delta has many active, short distributaries taking sediment to the mouth of the river and the receiving waters tend to be shallow
What is an arcuate delta?
300
based on the probability that a given event will be equaled or exceeded in any given year
What is the recurrence interval?
400
the most common drainage pattern; resembles branches of a tree
What is a dendritic pattern?
400
this occurs when rocks are broken into smaller pieces without changing the chemical composition of the rocks
What is physical weathering?
400
a stream that enters a floodplain and flows alongside a larger stream or river but is often prevented from joining the main stream by a levee
What is a yazoo stream?
400
this type of delta is tooth-shaped and usually has one distributary emptying into a flat coastline
What is a cuspate delta?
400
this type of stream is characterized by a V-shaped valley, rapids, waterfalls, no floodplain, and high gradient and velocity
What is a young or youthful stream?
500
a drainage pattern that develops around a central elevated point and is common to volcanoes
What is a radial drainage pattern?
500
the movement of sediment by water
What is transportation?
500
the lowest point to which a river or stream can flow
What is the base level?
500
the exposed part of a former river floodplain
What is a terrace?
500
this is common to mature and old age streams where meanders erode the sides of the channel
What is lateral erosion?
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