Introduction to rivers

1. Rivers

2. Stream Erosion Load - the stuff water carries, like sticks, sand, rocks, leaves, dead fish Channel - The path a river takes Why do some streams flow faster than others? 1. Gradient - the change in elevation over a distance. High Gradient Low Gradient 2. Discharge - the amount of water in a stream greater discharge means more erosion, more speed, more load

3. Load Bed load - large materials that bounce along the bottom of a stream Suspended load - small rocks and soil carried by the water - fast water carries heavier loads Dissolved load - chemicals carried by the water click here for a video sampling bed load

4. Stages of a river - determined by climate, gradient, load Youthful rivers - deeper than wide fast flowing steep gradient rapids and waterfalls few tributaries(streams that flow into it) Mature rivers wider than deep not as steep few rapids many tributaries

6. See changes in meanders over time Old rivers little erosion deposits sediment wide and flat meanders (lots of curves) fewer tributaries than a mature river Rejuvenated river land around a river is pushed up and the river cuts deeper into the ground

7. Deposition - The process in which material is dropped Alluvium - Rock and soil deposited by streams Meander animation -->

9. Formation of an oxbow lake -->

10. Delta - fan shaped deposit where a load is dropped

11. Alluvial Fan - formed where a fast moving mountain stream hits a plain.

12. Flood Plain - area along a stream's banks where water goes during a flood Levee - area of land that stops water in a flood

18. Mouth - the end of a river Delta - the deposition at the end of a river made when the load is dropped. Source - the beginning of a river Erosion - the wearing away of the land by the water