Stream Characteristics Flashcards
Where does stream get its water
Groundwater, precipitation, runoff
Tributary of a river is a stream that
Flows into it
What keeps perennial stream flowing
Groundwater feeds from below
Channel bed
Bottom of channel
Channel banks
Side of channel just above water
Flood plain
Flat area adjacent to a channel that periodically flooded
Leeves
Slightly raised land on ether side of channel created by over bank deposits
Where is the largest flood plain located
Mouth
Where is the smallest channel located
Headwaters
Where is the gradient of stream the greatest
Headwaters
How to measure water and sediment
Velocity
Distance water travels in
A given amount of time
Baited stream to stream
Affects steams ability to erode transport and deposit
How to measure water and sediment
Discharge
Volume of water passing in a given point on the stream bank per unit time
The smaller the stream the faster it must move
Factors that control discharge
Climate amount of tributaries size of drainage a son removal of water by industries
If no water is added or taken from point A to B what happens if channel size increases
Water velocity decrease
Q= VxA
Sediment load
Sediment carried by stream
Sediment size and volume depends on
Stream velocity
Faster water - bigger and more sediment
Suspended Load
Don’t move
90% of total load
Dissolved load
Ions in solution Chemical (weathering) breakdown All natural waters carry Warm&feet=large load Cold&dry=small load
Characteristics HW vs Mouth
Velocity
HW low bc bed friction
Mouth High bc tributaries
Characteristics HW vs Mouth
Discharge
HW low
Mouth high bc tributaries
Characteristics HW vs Mouth
Sediment load
HW low
Mouth high
Characteristics HW vs Mouth
Channel size
Hw small
Mouth large
Characteristics HW vs Mouth
Gradient
Hw high
Mouth low
Characteristics HW vs Mouth
Maximum grain size
Hw high bc large boulders
Mouth low bc eroded rocks
