EES-1000 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Weathering, River Source, Fly River
Document Summary
Stream a flowing body of water confined in a channel and moving downhill by gravity. River major branch of a large stream system. Streamflow begins as water is added to the surface and begins moving as sheetwash. Trunk stream large stream that others flow into. Headward erosion occurs where erosion lengthens the channel upslope. At this point, streams are usually small and narrow. Drainage network an array of linked channels. Dendritic branching, treelike due to uniform material. Drainage basin land areas bounded by a divide that drain into a specific trunk stream. Continental divide separates flow to different oceans. The outside curve is preferentially scoured and deepened. Thalweg the deepest part of the channel, usually corresponds to maximum velocity. Discharge the amount of water flowing in a channel. Abrasion sediment grains in flow sandblast rocks. Potholes bowl-shaped depressions due to swirling gravel. The material moved by streams is the sediment load.