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).
Suspended load
Sediments that are composed of grains small enough to be carried in water without quickly settling to the bottom.
Tributary
A smaller stream that enters a larger stream.
Turbulence
Erratic, swirling flow of a fluid such as water or wind.
