Midterm 2 Flashcards
Thalweg
Where water velocity is maximum at the center
Which location has the highest residence time?
Icecaps/glaciers - 12,000 yrs
Floodplain
Area of low-lying ground adjacent to river, formed mainly of river sediments and subject to flooding
Base flow
Infiltration through soil and sediments that feeds into stream to maintain flow
Runs
Areas with rapidly moving water but with a smooth surface
Stream classification: Snowmelt
- Seasonally strong on biota
- Rare drying
- Infrequent & predictable floods
- High discharge predictability
Intermittent
Flowing some of the time and receiving water from groundwater
Riffles
Areas where influence of bottom can be seen at surface of flowing water; shallow or turbulent areas
Orthofluvial
Remaining floodplain
Stream classification: Perennial runoff
- Strong to intermediate effect on biota
- Rare drying
- Infrequent flooding
- Low discharge predictability
Gaining streams
Streams with increased discharge from groundwater as they move downstream
A straight channel has a sinuosity of?
1
Sinuosity
Distance the water travels between 2 points divided by the direct distance between the 2 points
Types of water use by humans
- Domestic (high-quality water)
- Power (low-quality water)
- Consumptive (ex. agriculture evaporation)
Stream classification: Winter rain
- Seasonally strong effect on biota
- Rare drying
- Infrequent & predictable floods
- High discharge predictability
Stream classification: Intermittent runoff
- Strong effect on biota
- Rare drying frequency
- Frequent & unpredictable floods
- Low discharge predictability
T/F: If all people in the world used water at the per capita rates used in the US, all water available would be used
True
Water velocity
Speed of water at any point in a channel
Pools
Deep areas with relatively low water velocity
Variable source area hydrology
Expansion and contraction of saturated areas in watershed during wet and dry periods
Parafluvial
Where river regularly floods
Discharge equation
Discharge (Q) = velocity (V) x channel surface area (A)