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Geology > Rivers And Streams > Flashcards

Rivers And Streams Flashcards

1
Q

Rivers and Streams:

A

Bodies of flowing water that play a crucial role in shaping the Earth’s surface through erosion and sediment transport.

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2
Q

Sediment:

A

Particles of rock and soil that are carried by water, wind, or ice and deposited elsewhere.

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3
Q

Water Cycle:

A

The continuous process by which water is circulated between the Earth’s surface, atmosphere, and bodies of water.

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4
Q

Groundwater:

A

Water that is found beneath the Earth’s surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations.

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5
Q

Meandering Streams:

A

Streams that follow a winding or sinuous course, characterized by loops and bends.

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6
Q

Floodplains:

A

Flat areas adjacent to rivers and streams that are prone to flooding.

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7
Q

Drainage Divides:

A

Boundaries that separate one watershed from another, determining the direction in which water flows.

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8
Q

Watersheds:

A

The area of land where all of the water that falls in it drains off into a common outlet, such as a river, lake, or ocean.

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9
Q

Oxbow Lakes:

A

U-shaped bodies of water that form when a meander of a river is cut off, creating a free-standing body of water.

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10
Q

Hydroelectricity:

A

Electricity generated by hydropower, the production of power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water.

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11
Q

Irrigation:

A

The artificial application of water to land or soil to assist in the production of crops.

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12
Q

Floodplains:

A

Low-lying areas adjacent to rivers and streams that are periodically flooded when water levels exceed the capacity of the channel

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13
Q

What are rivers and streams essential for creating?

A

Rivers and streams are essential for transporting sediments to create an ecosystem.

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14
Q

Why are rivers important to humans?

A

Rivers are crucial for human activities, including transportation, agriculture, and recreation.

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15
Q

What is the water table?

A

The water table is the level at which the ground is saturated with water and is the same as the stream channel.

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16
Q

Describe the flaws in streams.

A

Stream flaws can include fast-moving water, stream hydrographs, and drainage basins.

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17
Q

What is the purpose of drainage basins or watersheds?

A

Drainage basins or watersheds collect water and send it to a specific area, usually a larger water body.

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18
Q

How do streams change along their length?

A

Streams get older as they move closer to the mouth, while they are younger closer to the headwaters

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19
Q

What is the work of running water in streams?

A

Running water in streams erodes, breaks, and dissolves materials.

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20
Q

How do streams transport sediments?

A

Sediments are moved by the fastest water in streams.

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21
Q

What happens to sediments once the water reaches the sea?

A

Once the water reaches the sea, sediments settle and become stable.

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22
Q

What are meandering streams?

A

Meandering streams have a winding, sinuous channel with point bars and can form oxbow lakes when cut off from the main channel.

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23
Q

What causes raging water?

A

Raging water occurs when water overflows channels and floods adjacent land, often triggered by the ground’s inability to absorb water.

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24
Q

How are flood risks evaluated?

A

Flood risks are calculated as annual probabilities.

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25
Q

What are gaining and losing streams?

A

Gaining streams flow all year at or below the water table in humid or temperate climates with sufficient rainfall and low evaporation. Losing streams dry up part of the year, above the water table in dry climates with low rainfall and high evaporation.

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26
Q

What is a hydrograph?

A

A hydrograph is a plot of discharge versus time.

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27
Q

What causes river erosion?

A

River erosion is caused by the energy of flowing water from mass and gravity, with the greatest erosion during floods.

28
Q

What are the three types of sediment load?

A

The three types of sediment load are dissolved load, suspended load, and bed load.

29
Q

What is a delta?

A

A delta forms when a stream enters standing water, dividing into distributaries with slowing velocity and sediment deposition

30
Q

What triggers floods?

A

Floods are triggered by conditions such as torrential rains, long periods of continuous rain, rapid snowmelt, and failure of dams or levees.

31
Q

What is a flash flood?

A

Flash floods are rapid rises in water levels with little warning, often caused by intense rainfall or dam failures.

32
Q

How can human activity increase flood hazards?

A

Land-use changes such as removal of natural vegetation, destruction of wetlands, and urbanization can increase flood hazards.

33
Q

Overland flow

A

Precipitation moving down slope over the land surface

34
Q

Stream discharge

A

Volume of water moving through the channel in given time

35
Q

Groundwater baseflow

A

Groundwater discharges to the surface

36
Q

Discharge (Q)

A

The amount of water flowing in a channel

37
Q

Does watersheds exist at multiple scales

A

Yes

38
Q

True or false: continental divides separate drainages that flow to different water bodies

A

True

39
Q

True or false: a large watersheds doesn’t contain many smaller ones

A

False, large watersheds contain many smaller watersheds

40
Q

The longitudinal profile describes:

A

The changes in a stream channel’s elevation from its mouth to its headwaters

41
Q

Near the headwaters

A

Steep and straight

42
Q

Near the mouth

A

Flat and curved

43
Q

Stream gradient

A

Changes in elevation per distance flowed

44
Q

River erosion

A

The energy of flowing water is from mass and gravity

45
Q

Erosion is greatest during a flood because energy is

A

Higher which causes to erode more and transport more

46
Q

How do streams erode

A

1- scouring: water licks up and moves sediments
2-breaking and lifting: rapidly moving water:
Breaks chunks of rocks off the channel and lifts rocks and sediments of the channels bottom
3- abrasion: the “sandblasting” of rock particles in fast-moving water
4-Dissolution: running water can dissolve soluble minerals

47
Q

Sediment load

A

Materials moved by running water

48
Q

Dissolved load

A

Ions from chemical weathering

49
Q

Suspended load:

A

Fine particles (silt and clay) in the water

50
Q

Bed load

A

Larger particles roll, slide, and bounce along the bottom

51
Q

Bed load move by a process called

A

Saltation

52
Q

Meanders form where

A

1- the stream gradient is low
2- the substrate is soft and easily eroded
3-the stream exists within a broad floodplain

53
Q

Base level

A

1-Lowest level to which a stream can cut downward
2- sea level is the ultimate base level
3-lakes, reservoirs and resistant rock bodies can create temporary base levels

54
Q

As streams approach their base level

A

1-streams gradient decreases
2-meanders get wider
3-streams carved out a wider flood plain
4-oxbow developed during times of flooding

55
Q

Does a delta plain form when the distribution continues to provide sediment

A

Yes

56
Q

When does flood occur

A

1-When flow exceeds channel capacity
2- water overflow the channel onto adjacent land
3-fast-moving water from channel flows onto floodplain, slows down and drops sediments

57
Q

What triggers floods

A

1-torrential rain rapidly dumping large volumes of water
2-long period of continuous rain;ground is saturated
3-rapid snowmelt across a large drainage basin
4-failure of dam or levee

58
Q

Dam failure

A

Catastrophic amounts of water released from impoundment in a very short period of time

59
Q

Downstream floods

A

Where a river in the lower part of a drainage basin leaves its channel flowing out onto its floodplain

60
Q

Is flood control expensive

A

Yes

61
Q

What levees and flood walls prevent

A

They prevent overflow to floodplains

62
Q

What does installation artificial levee prevents sediment from reaching?

A

They prevent them from reaching the flood plains, which causes the entire delta region to sink

63
Q

Recurrence interval

A

The average number of tears between floods of a particular sizes

64
Q

Can human activity lead flooding

A

Yes, land use changes can Increase the hazards associated with floods.
As well the removal of natural vegetation and destruction of wetlands. Construction activity and urbanization are all ways to create flooding

65
Q

How to reduce floods

A

1-dams
2-artificial levees
3-channelization
4-retention basins
5-erosion controls
6-wetlands restoration
7-floodplain management
8-education

Geology (19 decks)

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