Streams Flashcards
Streams
channels of water that drain the landscape
Stream runoff
water in motion over the land surface
a thin surface layer of water that moves down the steepest slope.
Sheetwash
Headward erosion
occurs via intense scouring where sheetflow enters the uppermost part of a channel.
tributaries join a
trunk stream
forms a pattern like a branching tree, a result of erosion of material that is relatively homogeneous.
Dendritic drainage
Types of drainage networks:
Dendritic, Radial, Rectangular, Trellis, Parallel
develops from a point uplift (a mesa, volcano, etc.)
Radial drainage
Rectangular drainage
flows along orthogonal jointing in the underlying bedrock.
defined by water flowing
all year. These streams are common where there
is abundant rainfall, groundwater discharge, and
low rates of evaporation.
Permanent Streams
do not flow all year. They are common in places with low annual rainfall, a low water table, and high rates of evaporation.
Ephemeral streams
Discharge
measures the volume of water passing a point per unit of time.
Base level
the lowest point to which a stream
can erode.
