9.2 Streams Flashcards
Alluvial fan
A cone or fan-shaped deposit of sediments formed where a stream exits from a mountain range and flows into a low-gradient valley.
Bar
A temporary deposit of sediment within a stream channel.
Base level
The elevation of a stream’s mouth (end point).
Bed load
Sediments that are too large (coarse) to be carried in suspension in the water and are therefore rolled or bounced along the bottom of a stream.
Delta
An accumulation of sediments formed where a stream enters a lake or ocean.
Discharge
The volume of water flowing through a stream, measured in units such as cubic meters per second (mᵌ/s).
Dissolved load
The material a stream carries as dissolved substances.
Divide
An imaginary line that separates one drainage basin from another.
Drainage basin
The land area that contributes water to a stream.
Drainage pattern
The pattern a network of streams makes on Earth’s surface such as dendritic, radial, or trellis patterns.
Lag time
The time gap between the peak precipitation and the peak discharge for a stream.
Laminar
Smooth flow of a fluid in which molecules flow in straight-line paths parallel to the sides of the channel rather than in chaotic, turbulent paths.
Landform
A distinct feature type that can be observed on Earth’s surface, such as a hill, valley, sand dune, or meander loop.
Load
The sediments carried in a stream.
Stream profile
A graph of the slope of a stream from its head (beginning) to its mouth (end point).
