Exam 14: Running Water: the Geology of Streams and Floods

The sediment load of a stream consists of only those grains that are fine enough to stay in suspension.

The stream gradient of most rivers ____________.

All flooding events occur so rapidly that there is no time to alert people in harm's way.

The flat-lying area surrounding a river channel is termed the ____________.

Which has greater competence?

Braided streams ____________.

All flowing,as opposed to standing,water on the Earth's surface is confined to stream channels.

In the region immediately surrounding an isolated volcano,a ____________ drainage network is expected.

In a region with prominent perpendicular sets of joints,a ____________ drainage network is expected.

Ephemeral streams ____________.

The discharge of a river traveling through a humid region will typically ___________ downstream; the discharge of a river traveling through an arid region will typically ____________ downstream.

At a waterfall,where two sedimentary lithologies are juxtaposed,which lithology is more likely to form the cliff over which the water falls?

The distinction between a valley and a canyon is ____________.

The outer edge of a meander,where material is being eroded,is a(n)____________.

Within a meander,where is sediment most likely to be deposited?

The shape of a delta is primarily determined by ____________.

The lowest elevation to which a stream can downcut is the ____________.

The deltas of all major rivers consist of multiple radiating lobes of sediment in a "bird's foot" configuration,similar to the Mississippi River delta.

An arroyo refers to ____________.

V-shaped stream valleys result from the downcutting of stream erosion and ____________