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wearing away of rock by grinding action. |
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| A fan-shaped wedge of sediment that typically accumulates on land where a stream emerges from a steep canyon onto a flat area. In map view it has the shape of an open fan. Typically forms in arid or semiarid climates. |
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| The lower limit of erosion by a stream. Sea level is the ultimate base level. However, lakes can serve as a temporary base level in upstream areas. |
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The larger, heavier particles that are being transported by a stream. Instead of being dissolved or suspended, these are being rolled or bounced along, spending at least part of their time in contact with the stream bottom. See also: load, suspended load, dissolved load |
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| a measure of the total amount of sediment in a stream and the size of the particles being moved by the stream. |
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| A deposit of sediment that forms where a stream enters a standing body of water such as a lake or ocean. The name is derived from the Greek letter "delta" because these deposits typically have a triangular shape in map view. |
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| the volume of water flowing past a given piont in a stream at a given time. |
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| A ridge that separates two adjacent drainage basins. |
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drainage basin or watershed [image] |
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| The geographic area that contributes runoff to a stream. It can be outlined on a topographic map by tracing the points of highest elevation (usually ridge crests) between two adjacent stream valleys. Also referred to as a "watershed". |
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| a sudden rush of water, usually caused by a single cloudburst over the narrow valley of a young mountian stream. |
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| An area of alluvium-covered, relatively level land along the banks of a stream that is covered with water when the stream leaves its channel during a time of high flow. |
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| a miniature valley formed by erosion from heavy rains. |
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| the wearing away of land at the haed of a gully or stream valley |
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| A long continuous ridge built by people along the banks of a stream to contain the water during times of high flow. Natural levees can also be built along the banks of a stream. When the flood water decelerates upon leaving the channel, sediments quickly drop out of suspension and build a ridge over time. |
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| A stream that has many bends (meanders). This type of drainage pattern usually develops on a nearly level landscape and where the banks of the stream are easily eroded |
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| A crescent-shaped lake that forms when a meandering stream changes course. Such changes in course frequently occur during flood events when overbank waters erode a new channel |
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| A cylindrical or hemispherical hold in the bedrock of a stream that is formed from the continual swirling motion of sand and gravel by swirling currents |
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| A chemical weathering process in which a material is dissolved. Also, the transport of dissolved ions by the water of a stream. |
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| the division of the upper part of one stream by the headward growth of another stream. |
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| Transport of sediment by wind or water currents that are strong enough to keep the sediment particles continuously above the stream bottom or ground. (See traction and saltation for comparison.) |
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| a pass in a mountian ridge through which a stream flows. |
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