Stream Features

Regents Earth Science

With Ms. Connery

Seasons

Greetings!

LAB 3 - How long is a Day? making time calculations!

SUNRISE SUNSET

W 10/29 06 :33 17:02

ESRT - What are the major streams of NYS and which

way do they flow??

Let’s draw a conceptual modelWhy are there streams?

• Runoff surface water

• Infiltration groundwater

• Streams are a combination of both

What factors determine whether water infiltrates or runs off the land surface to form a stream?

Characteristic HIGHINFILTRATION

LOW INFILTRATION

HIGH RUN-OFF

LOW RUN-OFF

GROUNDCOVER• VEGETATED

• PAVED

X

X X

X

SLOPE of the LAND (water speed)• STEEP SLOPE

• GENTLE SLOPE X

X X

X

SOIL PERMEABILITY• HIGH PERMEABILITY

• LOW PERMEABILITY

X

X X

X

SOIL SATURATION• SATURATED or VERY DRY

• MODERATE SATURATION X

X X

X

Key points…

What are some key erosional and depositional features of running water?

Where do we find different size sediments in a stream?

What are the ages of a stream and their characteristics?

In the stream speed lab

you mostly thought about

water levels causing

different speeds (like during

floods & droughts) but

there are other reasons for

speed change and erosion

and deposition!

Cut bank (erosion) and point bar (deposition)

Point Bar

If the speeds are different, what does the stream channel look like on straight-aways and curves?

What does the channel, erosion, and deposition look

like on a major river?

Using the stream table, you

should be able to describe

headwaters (source)

tributary

channel

flood plain

erosion zones

deposition zones

stream meanders

cut bank

point bar

undercutting

sediment sorting by

water speed

sediment sorting by

location (slope)

deltas

basin

mouth

braided streams

Oxbow lake, cut-offs, and flood plain of a meandering stream

Meandering Stream (it’s a

good oldstream)

Mississippi River Delta forms

Mississippi RiverDelta

Mississippi Delta

Alluvial fan

Braided stream in

alluvial fanat mouth of

river

Streams at different “ages” have different characteristics

YOUTHFUL MATURE-OLD STREAMS

• Steep gradient• Faster water• Waterfalls &

rapids• V-shape channel• Few floodplains• Straighter• Lots of erosion

• Gentle gradient• Slower water• Many tributaries• Meanders• Flatter & wider

channel• Floodplains• Lots of deposition

Youthful age stream

Youthful Stream Stage

Mature Stream Stage

Mature Stage stream –Susquehanna River

Rio Grande

Nile Riverfrom

Apollo 9

Old Age Stream

Mississippi River – Old Age Stage

TIGRIS - EUPHRATES RIVER

AMAZON RIVER

You know the speed of the

stream determines the

size of sediments that are moving or settling out of

the stream.

Speed of erosion & deposition relate to the speed of the water

CONDITION FAST WATER SLOW WATER

HIGH EROSION RATE

xLOW EROSION RATE

xHIGH DEPOSITION RATE

xLOW DEPOSITION RATE

x

The SEDIMENT also affects the rate of deposition in a stream.

What are some characteristics of sediment? Think back to the bucket of unsorted sediments!

Lab 7 – Journey’s EndHow does sediment settle?

OBJECTIVES

Collect and analyze settling rate data for various

sediments

Apply this analysis to the real world where

erosion and deposition occur along streams

REMEMBERyou can only change one thing at a time when you

write your procedure

Settling Rate vs. Settling Time Graphs

VERTICAL SORTING of sediments during DEPOSITION

Horizontal sorting, deposition, and water speed

Draw horizontal sorting

(based on water speed and hill slope)

Key points…

What are some key erosional and depositional features of running water?

Where do find different size sediments in a stream?

What are the ages of a stream and their characteristics?