Runoff Streams Rivers
Water picks up particles of clay, sand, and gravel as it moves along Earth’s surface Small grooves form – called rills Gullies form as grooves formed by water become wider and deeper More rainfall = more/less runoff?? More plant growth = more/less runoff??
More rainfall = more runoff More plant growth = less runoff
Form when gullies meet Carry large amounts of sediments Load: soil and rock particles carried by a stream Large, heavier particles are pushed or rolled downstream Lighter particles are picked up and carried by force of water Layers of rock beneath stream can be eroded by abrasion
Form when streams meet Drainage system: network of rills, gullies, streams, and rivers in an area › Like the branches of a tree Tributaries: larger “branches” that connect smaller streams to main river Drainage basin: area drained by a main river and its channels
Immature river: young river › Water flows quickly over rocks and produces rapids › Waterfalls are common Mature river: has been developing for 1000s of years › Continuous erosion has caused rapids and waterfalls to disappear › Broad, flat valley floor › Has curved loops called meanders
Rivers deposit sediments when they slow down At curves, they deposit at inside of curve and erode at outer edge of curve Can form different shapes and landforms as deposits and further erosion take place
Oxbow lake: U-shaped lake that forms when erosion and deposition cuts off a meander from the river Alluvial fan: fan-shaped deposit formed at point where river leaves mountains and runs into plain Delta: triangular formation of sediments deposited at mouth of a large river when it flows into a lake or ocean
Flood plains: areas of fertile soil on sides of river due to deposits after repeated flooding Levees: ridgelike deposits formed by large particles deposited in flood plains
Form where there is a lot of snowfall and the temperature stays cold Valley glaciers form when snow builds up over time and turns to ice › Move slowly through valleys Continental glaciers form in polar regions of the world
Picks away at rocks underneath it as it moves Carry loads that grind away Earth’s surface as it passes over things
Some glaciers begin to melt as they reach a warm area › Continue to move forward, but melt away faster than they are moving so it looks like they are moving backward › Called retreating glaciers Deposit rock and debris as it retreats › Called its till: rock and soil deposited directly by a glacier
Moraine: ridge of till left behind by a retreating glacier › Terminal moraine: at front of glacier › Lateral moraine: along side of glacier Drumlin: oval-shaped mound of till › Tip points in direction glacier was moving
Icebergs: part of a glacier that has broken off and drifted into the sea Glacial lakes: formed two ways › Glacial till and deposits pile up and keep water from flowing away from an area › Glacial ice blocks are left behind and melt, leaving a depression (hole) that becomes a lake ( kettle lake)
1. What is a glacier, and how does a glacier cause erosion? 2. What is a glacier’s till? 3. Explain what a moraine is and the difference between the two types of moraines. 4. How do icebergs form? 5. Describe the two ways that glaciers can form lakes.