GEOL 100 Chapter Notes - Chapter 16.6: Headward Erosion, Alluvial Fan, Erosion
23 Apr 2019
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Rainwater causes splash erosion as it his the ground. Water flowing over the surface as overland flow causes subtle sheet erosion. Water tends to accumulate in natural cracks and low spots rather than spreading uniformly across the land. Headward erosion: any drainage basin can erode upward, expanding the area of the basin. Can cut into the area between channels. Can lead to stream capture: the natural diversion of water from one stream into another. Landforms that characterize the headwaters of mountain streams: Many have incised (eroded down) into bedrock. When the stream is steep and energetic it has the competence to carry large boulders. Reservoir: a lake created by a human constructed dam. Most develop when the gradient of a stream steepens or the channel is constricted by narrow bedrock walls, large rocks, or other debris that blocks the channel. Many form where tributaries have deposited fans of debris that crowd or clog the main channel.
