Professional Documents
Culture Documents
3 functions of streams:
Erode
Transport
Deposit
Discharge: the measure of the volume of stream water that flows past a
particular location within a given period of time
Usually expressed in cubic meters per second (m3/s)
Depositional Features:
1. Bars
2. Alluvial Fans
3. Deltas
Bars
An elevated region
of sediment (such as sand
or gravel) that has
been deposited by the flow
Bars are typically found in
the slowest moving,
shallowest parts of rivers
and streams, and are often
parallel to the shore
Alluvial Fans A triangle-shaped
deposit of gravel, sand,
and even smaller pieces
of sediment, such as silt
Usually created as
flowing water interacts
with mountains, hills,
or the steep walls of
canyons.
Deltas
The triangular deposit
that forms where a
stream enters a large
body of water
Water and sediment
leave the river mouth
and enter slower-
moving or standing
water
Lakes
Lake: body of water surrounded by land
Lakes form in different ways in surface depression and in low
areas
Cut-off meanders
Sediment blocks from landslides or other sources
Glacial lakes (glaciers carved out the land during the ice
age)
Moraine dammed lakes
Kettles melted blocks of ice in an outwash plain
Wetlands
An area of land that is covered with water for part of the year
1. Bogs:
- Not stream fed, receive water from precipitation
- Waterlogged, acidic soils
2. Marshes:
- Form along the mouths of streams
- Lush growth of marsh grasses
3. Swamps:
- Low-laying areas located near streams
- Can develop from marshes that are now filled with shrubs and trees
Wetlands and Water Quality
Wetlands play a vital role in
improving water quality
Serve as a filtering system
that traps pollutants,
sediments, and bacteria
contained in water sources
Vital habitat for wildlife
From the late 1700-mid
1980, the US lost about
50% of its wetlands