Water Resources and Rivers Flashcards
(12 cards)
Dendritic Drainage
pattern is a branching tree. Results from Erosison of material that is relatively homogeneous, (e.g. flate lying sandstones). Most common network
Downcutting
occurs when a river has more erosive power than sediment to deposit
Longitudinal Profile
a cross sectional view that shows the elevation change of a river from its source to it mouth. Illustrates how a rivers gravies and energy change over course
Meandering Stream
rivers flow in sinuous pattern. Turbulent flow and velocity changes cause both erosion on one side and deposition on the other. Erosion changes course of the river
Meander Cutoff
when a river cuts through a narrow neck of a meander loop, creating a straighter channel and isolating the bend, over time the abandoned meander may become an oxbow lake or dry up completely.
Parallel Drainage
Form on a steep uniform slope. Several parallel streams develop simultaneously. Streams are swift and straight, with very few tributaries, and all flow in the same direction
Point Bar
feature found in meandering rivers or streams. It is a depositional landform, typically composed of sand, gravel or other sediments, that forms on the inside curve of a river bend
Radial Drainage
forming on the surface of a cone shaped mountain. Water flow outward from the peak. Mountain, mesa, volcano etc
Trellis Drainage
Occurs in landscapes of parallel valleys and ridges. Tributaries flow down valleys and join a trunk stream cutting across ridges. Common where surface alternates between erodible and resistant materials
Rectangular drainage
rectangular grid of fractures (joints). Streams join at right angles. Occur in areas with very little topography
Meander Cutbank
the outer, eroding edge of a meander bend in a river
Braided Stream
multiple channel system. Interlaced channels with islands. High sediment load, common in arid/semi arid regions, seasonal high flows. Common in front of glaciers, large sediment load, fluctuating water flow.
