CHAPTER 16 Key Terms
Match each of the terms on the left with its definition on the right. Click on the term first and then click on the matching definition. As you match them correctly, they will move to the bottom of the activity.
abrasion aggradation alluvial fan alluvium base level bed load braided stream continental divide cut bank delta dendritic drainage dissolved load distributary drainage basin drainage divide ephemeral stream escarpment exotic stream flash flood flood floodplain fluvial erosion headward erosion headwaters intermittent stream internal drainage knickpoint meander oxbow lake permanent stream plunge pool point bar reservoir saltation seasonal flood stream stream discharge stream order stream piracy stream rejuvenation subsidence suspended load traction tributary trunk stream | A stream that flows briefly after heavy rainstorms. The area of flat land near a stream that experiences flooding on a regular basis. A bouncing or hopping motion of sediment in moving water (or air). The process by which a stream channel migrates upslope by forming new rills through fluvial erosion. Erosion by running water. The volume of water flowing past a fixed point within a stream channel; expressed in cubic meters or cubic feet per second. A permanent stream that originates in a humid region and flows through an arid region. Material in a stream channel such as sand, gravel, and rocks that is too heavy to become suspended in the current. A water- A gently sloping accumulation of sediment deposited at the base of a mountain by an ephemeral stream in arid regions. The region where a stream originates. A process by which a stream gains downcutting energy as its base level is lowered relative to its drainage basin. A numerical system used to rank stream size based on the number of tributaries flowing into a stream. Soluble minerals that are carried in solution by a stream. The process by which movement of one material wears away another material. A ridge or highland that separates drainage basins and defines their boundaries. Lowering of land elevation through compaction of sediments. A stream that runs dry during part or most of the year. The diversion of one stream into another as headward erosion merges the two streams. A predictable period of flooding that occurs with seasonally heavy rain or snowmelt. A ridge or highland that separates drainage systems that empty into different ocean basins. The lowest level a stream can reach, usually sea level; a stream becomes standing water at base level. A stream that joins with other streams to form a larger stream. A stream that flows all year. The buildup of sediments in a streambed. An accumulation of sediment formed where a stream reaches base level. A drainage pattern in which streams terminate in a low- Sediments deposited on a floodplain by a stream. One of a branching network of streams in a delta. A bowl at the base of a waterfall created by abrasion from circulating rocks. A channel in which water flows downhill by the force of gravity. A long cliff face or steep slope. A geographic region drained by a single trunk stream and the smaller tributaries that flow into it. A stream that forms intertwining channels around sediments in the streambed. The outside edge of a meander, where erosion exceeds deposition. A flood that occurs with sudden, intense rainfall or dam collapse, often with little or no warning. Small particles such as clay and silt that remain suspended in flowing water or wind. A location where there is an abrupt increase in stream gradient over a short distance. A pattern of streams within a drainage basin that resembles the branching of a tree. The dragging and tumbling of large rocks in a stream channel. Inundation by water in a region not normally covered by water, which results when stream discharge exceeds stream channel capacity. A single large stream into which smaller tributaries merge. An artificial lake. An accumulation of silt, sand, and gravel that forms at the inside edge of a stream meander, where deposition exceeds erosion. A looping bend in a stream channel on a floodplain. |