Surface Water Flashcards
Sea level drops when water is stored in ________________
expanding ice sheets and continental glaciers.
The ________ describes the movement of water through Earth’s hydrosphere.
hydrologic cycle
________ are components of the hydrologic cycle that release water vapor directly to the atmosphere.
Evaporation and transpiration
________ is not part of the hydrologic cycle.
Calcium carbonate dissolving in soil water and groundwater
How does urbanization (paving, etc.) affect runoff and infiltration in a small, previously forested, drainage basin?
infiltration decreases; runoff increases
________ describes the total sediment load transported by a stream.
Capacity
Which of the following must result in a lower base level for rivers and streams?
Sea level falls; land rises.
________ is an abandoned, cutoff, meander loop
An oxbow
What is the release of water vapor to the atmosphere by plants?
Evapotranspiration
Which component of the hydrologic cycle describes the recharge of water to the soil and groundwater systems?
infiltration
True or False? Stream discharge is defined as the quantity of water flowing past a specific channel location per unit time.
True
True or False? For the same discharge, gradient, and channel cross-section, a stream with a boulder-strewn bed would be more turbulent than one with a sandy bed
True
True or False? Alluvium refers to stream deposits, mainly sand and gravel.
True
True or False? The lowest base level for most streams is lake level.
False
True or False? A stream flowing out from a lake cannot downcut below the water surface elevation of the lake.
False
True or False? Foreset beds are part of a deltaic, depositional sequence.
True
What stream characteristic is measured by the size of the largest particle that a stream can move?
Competence
What term does refer to sediments deposited from streams?
Alluvial
True or False? The lowest elevation limiting stream erosion is called base level.
True
True or False? Gradient is defined as the drop in elevation of the stream surface divided by the distance the water flows.
True
Match each stream drainage pattern below with an appropriate name for it.
Radial Rectangular Dendritic Trellis
What is the name of the following sedimentary depostion?
Delta
Water running in a nearly straight path is called
Laminar flow
Water moving quickly in an erratic fashion is called
Turbulent flow
The volume of water flowing past a certain point in a given unit of time
Discharge
The maximum load of solid particles a stream can carry
Capacity
The maximum particle size a stream can transport
Competence
