- weathering: physical and/or chemical breakdown of rock.
- erosion: physcial removal or transport of eathered material. (wind, rain, ice)
- mass wasting: movement of rock and soil by gravity.
- slumping [f.3.3A]
- rock slides [f.3.3B]
- debris flows [f.3.3C]
- earth flow [f.3.3D]
factors influencing mass wasting
- water - dry sediments stick together better than saturated sediments
- vegetation - stabalizes environment
- oversteepened slopes - ex. a stream underctuts a river bank
- earthquakes
Water is transported from one reservoir to another via the hydrologic cycle. Biggest reservoir:
- Oceans (97.2%)
- Freshwater (2.8%)
- Galciers (2.15%)
- Groundwater (0.62%)
- Other fresh water (0.03%)
Rivers are confined to typography to their drainage basin (area contributting was to a stream/river).
- A drainage divide is an area of high(er) elevation that separates drainage basins.
- River zones
- Zone of sediment production (erosion)
- Zone of transportation - trunk stream
- Zone of deposition
- Laminar: flow in straigh-line paths. (Smooth)
- Turbulent: flow includes swirls and eddies. (Rough)
The velocity of river water is measured at a gauging station. [f.3.9]
- Discharge: volume of water per unit time.
- (D = chanel width x depth x velocity)
- D = m^3 / sec
Streams flow from their head/headwaters toward their mouth.
- Erosion: rain, ice, gravity can dislodge particles of rock and soil. The river water itself may also erode sediment and rock.
- Transportation: movement of eroded materials (Load) toward the mouth of the stream.
- Dissolved Load
- Suspended Load
- Bed Load
- Deposition: when stream velocities are unable to transport material, that material is deposited (alluvium).