Water Unit Part 2

Question 1

Delta

Answer 1

a fan-shaped deposit that forms when a river flows into a quiet or large body of water, such as a lake, an ocean, or an inland sea.

Question 2

Tributary

Answer 2

a stream that runs into another stream or river.

Question 3

Gradient

Answer 3

the steepness of the slope of a stream or river

Question 4

Discharge

Answer 4

the amount, or volume, of water that passes a certain point in a given amount of time.

Question 5

Deposition

Answer 5

The process by which water loses energy and drops the sediment it is carrying.

Question 6

Erosion

Answer 6

The process by which material (pebbles, sand, silt, clay, etc.) is removed and carried away.

Question 7

Weathering

Answer 7

The disintegration and decomposition of rock at or near Earth’s surface.

Question 8

Load

Answer 8

the eroded rock and soil materials that are transported downstream by a river.

Question 9

Capacity

Answer 9

is a measure of the total amount of sediment a
stream can carry.

Question 10

Competence

Answer 10

is a measure that describes the maximum size of the particles a stream can carry.

Question 11

Oxbow Lake

Answer 11

a curved body of water formed when deposits separate a meander from its river.

Question 12

Point Bar

Answer 12

a low, crescent-shaped deposit of sand and gravel developed on the inner bank of a meander where the water velocity is slow.

Question 13

Cut Bank

Answer 13

a steep slope caused by erosion of the outer bank of a meander.

Question 14

Meander

Answer 14

A loop-like bend in the course of a stream.

Question 15

Groundwater

Answer 15

Water held underground in pores or crevices in soil or rock.

Question 16

Infiltration

Answer 16

The movement of surface water into rock or soil through cracks and pore spaces underground.

Question 17

Permeability

Answer 17

the rate at which water or other liquids pass through the pore spaces of a rock.

Question 18

Pore Spaces

Answer 18

The open spaces between sediments where water flows up from/flows into

Question 19

Porosity

Answer 19

the percent of a material’s volume that is pore space.

Question 20

Specific Retention (Capillary Water)

Answer 20

water that remains in the soil after water is drained out

Question 21

Aquifer

Answer 21

Underground soil or rock through which groundwater can easily move. A permeable layer of rock and sediment that stores and carries groundwater in enough quantities to supply wells.

Question 22

Aquitard/Aquiclude

Answer 22

a solid, impermeable area underlying or overlying an aquifer.

Question 23

Water Table

Answer 23

The top of the water is in the soil or rock. The surface below which the groundwater is saturated with water.

Question 24

Saturated Zone

Answer 24

the area below the water table, where the pores are filled with water.

Question 25

Unsaturated Zone

Answer 25

the area below the surface that is above the water table, where the pores are not filled with water.

Question 26

Sediment Sorting

Answer 26

The grain sorting refers to the range of sediment sizes.
Well sorted = small size range
Poorly sorted = large size range