Chapter 5

Front 1

the hydrologic cycle

Back 1

illustrates the circulation of earths water supply

Front 2

precipitation

Back 2

water that forms in the atmosphere. it can be in the form of liquid, solid, or vapor

Front 3

evaporation

Back 3

the process of converting a liquid to a gas

Front 4

infiltration

Back 4

the movement of surface water into rock or soil through cracks and pore spaces

Front 5

-precipitation
-evaporation
-infiltration
-runoff
-transpiration
-evapotranspiration

Back 5

5 processes involved in the hyrdrologic cycle?

Front 6

runoff

Back 6

water that flows over the land rather than rather than infiltrating into the ground

Front 7

transpiration

Back 7

the release of water vapor to the atmosphere by plants

Front 8

evapotranspiration

Back 8

the combined effect of evaporation and transpiration

Front 9

oceans - 97%
glaciers - 2%
groundwater - <1%
other - <1%
-atmosphere - < 0.001%

Back 9

sources of earths water in order of size?

Front 10

drainage basins (aka watershed)

Back 10

the land area that contributes water to a stream

Front 11

divide

Back 11

an imaginary line that separates the drainage of two streams; often found along a ridge

Front 12

a divide (this separates what?)

Back 12

what separates drainage basins

Front 13

continental divide

Back 13

diverts drainage to different oceans

Front 14

appalachian mountains
rocky mountains

Back 14

examples of 2 continental divides?

Front 15

relief - change in elevation
gradient, or slope
certain channel characteristics
-shape
-size
-roughness

Back 15

3 factors that determine the velocity?

Front 16

gradient

Back 16

the slope of a stream; generally measured in feet per mile

Front 17

discharge

Back 17

the quantity of water in a stream that passes a given point in a period of time

generally expressed as cubic feet per second

Front 18

deltas - exist in oceans or lakes
alluvial fan
natural levees - form parallel to the stream channel

Back 18

three features produced by deposition?

Front 19

delta

Back 19

an accumulation of sediment formed where a stream enters a lake or ocean

Front 20

alluvial fan

Back 20

a fan-shaped deposit of sediment formed when a stream's slope is abruptly reduced

Front 21

natural levees

Back 21

the elevated landforms that parallel some streams and act to confine their waters, except during floodstage

Front 22

laminar flow
turbulent flow

Back 22

two types of stream flow?

Front 23

laminar flow

Back 23

the movement of water particles in straight-line paths that are parallel to the channel. the water particles move downstream without mixing

Front 24

turbulent flow

Back 24

the movement of water in an erratic fashion often characterized by swirling, whirlpool-like eddies. most stream-flow is of this type

Front 25

top center, away from edges

Back 25

where is the water velocity highest in a straight stream?

Front 26

outside edge of the bend, slightly away from the outside curve

Back 26

where is water velocity highest in a meander stream?

Front 27

base level

Back 27

the level below which a stream cannot erode

Front 28

ultimate - sea level
temporary, or local

Back 28

two general types of base level?

Front 29

uplift of the land
earthquakes
reservoir/dam

Back 29

3 changes that cause readjustment of the stream - deposition or erosion

Front 30

straight stream
meandering stream
braided stream

Back 30

3 different types of stream channels?

Front 31

steep terrain
v-shaped valley
rapids and waterfalls
high velocity water
low load
near or at headwaters (origin)

Back 31

6 characteristics of a straight stream?

Front 32

meanders
floodplain
natural levee
point bars
cutbanks
oxbow lakes and cutoff
back swamps (swamp)
yazoo tributaries

medium velocity
medium to high load

Back 32

8 characteristics of a meandering stream?

Front 33

meander

Back 33

a looplike bend in the course of a stream

Front 34

floodplain

Back 34

the flat, low-lying portion of a stream valley subject to periodic inundation

Front 35

point bars

Back 35

sandbars on the inside of the meander

Front 36

cutbanks

Back 36

outside of bend where velocity is highest

the area of active erosion on the outside of a meander

Front 37

cutoff

Back 37

a short channel segment created when a river erodes through the narrow neck of land between meanders

Front 38

oxbow lake

Back 38

a curved lake produced when a stream cuts off a meander

Front 39

yazoo tributary

Back 39

a tributary that flows parallel to the main stream because a natural levee is present

Front 40

braided stream

Back 40

a stream consisting of numerous intertwining channels

Front 41

floodplain
natural levee
channel bars - an elongated deposit of sand and gravel located in the stream channel
very low velocity
very high load

Back 41

5 characteristics of a braided stream?

Front 42

floods the most common ___ hazard?

Back 42

what are the most common geologic hazard?

Front 43

weather
-hurricanes
-rapid rainfall (includes flash floods)
-prolonged rains
-snowmelt

human interference w/ stream system
-dams
-artificial levees
-clogging natural drainage systems
-changing topography of the land

sinkholes
building in floodplains

Back 43

2 causes of floods?

Front 44

artificial levees - unusually earthen mounds built to increase a rivers capacity

flood-control dams - dams designated to hold back flood waters then slowly release the water

channelization - altering the stream channel to rapidly divert water from immediate area

Back 44

3 engineering efforts?

Front 45

identifying high risk areas, zoning regulations
educate the people

Back 45

2 nonstructural approaches through sound floodplain management

Front 46

amazon

Back 46

the river with the largest discharge on earth?

Front 47

profile

Back 47

cross-sectional view of a stream from head to mouth

is a smooth curve

Front 48

discharge
channel size

Back 48

factors that increase downstream

Front 49

gradient, or slope
channel roughness

Back 49

factors that decrease downstream

Front 50

erosion

Back 50

the incorporation and transportation of material by a mobile agent, such as water, wind, or ice

Front 51

dissolved load
suspended load
bed load

Back 51

transportation (3 kinds of loads)

Front 52

competence and capacity

Back 52

load is related to a stream's (2 things)

Front 53

competence

Back 53

max particle size
velocity is a major factor

Front 54

capacity

Back 54

max load
related to discharge

Front 55

deposition

Back 55

caused by a decrease in velocity in a stream or river

Front 56

dissolved load

Back 56

that portion of a stream's load carried in solution

Front 57

suspended load

Back 57

the fine sediment carried within the body of flowing water

Front 58

bed load

Back 58

sediment that is carried by a stream along the bottom of its channel

Front 59

deposition of sediment is caused by a decrease in velocity
sediment begins to drop out when the velocity is low

Back 59

deposition in streams/rivers is caused by what? (2 things)

Front 60

alluvium

Back 60

unconsolidated sediment deposited by a stream