Fluvial Processes Flashcards
What are the three main processes involved in fluvial processes?
Erosion, Transportation, and Deposition
Define a stream.
Any channeled flow of water.
What do fluvial processes involve?
Running water, encompassing both overland flow and streamflow.
What is overland flow?
Unchanneled downslope movement of water.
What is streamflow?
Channeled movement of water along a valley bottom.
What is a valley?
Portion of terrain where drainage system is clearly established.
What is an interfluve?
Higher land above a valley, separating adjacent valleys.
Define drainage basin or watershed.
All area that contributes to overland flow, streamflow, and groundwater.
What is a drainage divide?
Line of separation between runoff descending to one drainage basin and another.
What describes the arrangement and organization of streams within a watershed?
Stream order.
What are first-order streams?
Smallest streams with no tributaries.
What is splash erosion?
Movement of particles downhill caused by raindrops colliding with the ground.
What are rills?
Tiny channels that form when volume of overland flow increases.
What is gully erosion?
Occurs after rills coalesce into fewer and larger channels.
What enhances erosion by streamflow?
Channeled surface flow increases volume and speed of water.
What is stream load?
Material collected in streams.
Fill in the blank: The size of the largest particle that a stream can transport is known as _______.
Competence
What is capacity in terms of stream transport?
Maximum load a stream can transport under given conditions.
What is alluvium?
Stream-deposited sediments that are typically smooth and round.
What happens to transported material when stream flow speed decreases?
It will be set down or deposited.
Describe perennial streams.
Permanent streamflow in humid regions.
What is a flood event?
An increase in stream discharge that can enhance erosion and deposition.
What is discharge in relation to streams?
Volume of flow per unit of time.
True or False: Urbanization increases infiltration due to impermeable surfaces.
False