Fresh & Salt water Systems Checkpoint Four Flashcards
What is the life of a river?
1) most streams start in higher elevations.
2) streams increase in volume as they move
3) streams flow into lower areas, combine, and form rivers
4) rivers begin to meander, erodes river banks and forms valleys
5) begins to slow as it travels farther from source, deposits rocks and minerals into riverbed
6) eventually collects into lake or flows into ocean.
What are the three different stream zones?
1) Erosion Zone (headwaters)
2) Transfer Zone (middle)
3) Deposition zone (end)
Characteristics of the erosion zone?
- very fast water speed
- small-medium flow of water
- straight and shallow stream shape
- Steep/v-shaped bottom of stream slope
- narrow stream width
- steep cliffs as stream banks
- small amount of big sediment
Characteristics of the transfer zone?
- fast-moderate water speed
- large flow of water
- meandering stream shape
- moderate/u-shaped bottom of stream slope
- intermediate stream width
- valleys and canyons as stream banks
- medium amount of medium sized sediment
Characteristics of the depositional zone?
- moderate-very slow water speed
- heavy flow of water
- wandering/ very curvy stream shape
- nearly flat bottom of stream slope
- wide stream width
- broad valleys/ river deltas form for stream banks
- large amount of small sediment
What is a river delta?
Landform created by deposition of sediment that is carried by a river as the flow leaves its mouth and enters slower-moving water.
What are stream characteristics?
- speed of flow
- quantity of water
- stream shape
- stream slope
- riverbed shape
- stream width
- stream bank
- stream sediment size
- stream sediment amounts
What is erosion?
The wearing away and transporting of rock fragments and soil.
What are sediments?
Eroded rock fragments and soil carried by water and wind.
What is the sediment load?
The amount of water-borne materials a stream carries.
What is deposition?
The laying down or depositing of sediments.
What is chemical weathering?
Water reacts with chemicals to dissolve rock.
What is hydrolysis?
Water reacts with minerals present in the rock.
What is Oxidation?
Oxygen reacts with minerals present in the rock.
