Rivers & Groundwater

Water Cycle Transpiration Run off Infiltration Evaporation Condensation Precipitation Transpiration Run off Infiltration Evaporation Ground water

Water budget v. Financial budget Continuous cycle of evapotranspiration , condensation, and precipitation. Affected by temperature, vegetation, wind, precipitation and -Vary by location Evaporation, transpiration, Water budget Incoming (increase): Precipitation Condensation Outgoing (Decrease): Evapotranspiration Financial budget Incoming: Paycheck Misc. income Outgoing: Expenses

Geography water budgets Decrease water budgets Increased water budgets Dry areas: Deserts, Plains, Mountainous areas (rain shadow) High evaporation (more direct sunlight) less rain Wet areas: Rain forests, Swamps, Marshes Low evaporation and more rain

Michigan’s water budget

Water usage

Common river features Beginning of a stream (high elevation) Describe common river system features • Headwaters • Meander • Watershed • Oxbow • Tributary • Cutbank • Divide • Point Bar • Floodplain • Delta Beginning of a stream (high elevation) Bend/curve in a river Land that allows runoff water to enter a stream/river Lake that is left after river changes direction (old meander) Outside section of meander, high erosion area Feeder stream Inside section of meander, eroded material (sediment) deposited here Land that separates water sheds Valley that can be covered by water in flood conditions Fan shaped deposit at the mouth of a stream (before enters the sea)

Diagram headwaters divide watershed tributary oxbow Floodplain cutbank delta meander point bar

3 Ways that rivers erode sediment Headward: process of lengthening and branching of a stream where the run off first occurs * carries away sediment from the slopes of the watershed Downcutting: process that deepens the channel of a stream or valley by removing material from the stream's bed or the valley's floor. *erodes sediments down creating deeper channel Meandering: moving water in a stream erodes the outer banks and widens its valley, and the inner part of the river has less energy and deposits silt. *erodes side to side to side

Sediment carried by streams (stream load) Bed Load: Coarse sand, gravel and pebbles Sliding, rolling or Saltation Suspended Load: Particles of fine sand and silt Moving water keeps them suspended (very small) Dissolved load: Mineral matter transported Transported in dissolved liquid solution

Stream Gradient Narrow channels Small flood plains Downcutting Stream gradient :is the grade measured by the ratio of drop in elevation of a stream per unit horizontal distance, usually expressed as feet per mile or meters/kilometers. Gradient = -------------------------------------- Velocity= -------------------------------- Young Streams/ Rivers Narrow channels Small flood plains Downcutting Deep slopes Waterfalls Change in elevation Distance Change in distance Time Older Rivers Wide channels Large flood plains lateral erosion gentle slopes

Destruction of wetlands (natural flood protection) Pavement Flooding -overflow of water that submerges land which is usually dry. Natural flooding: heavy rain fall Snow melting Hurricanes Human based: Dams Destruction of wetlands (natural flood protection) Pavement

Ground water Porosity: is a measure of the void (i.e., "empty") spaces in a material. High= gravel Low=clay

Groundwater Permeability: is a measure of the ability of a porous material (rock, or sediment) to allow fluids to pass through it. In other words how quickly water passes through open spaces (pores).

Zones of groundwater Zone of Aeration: Space between Earth’s surface and water table, spaces or pores filled with air. (unsaturated zone)

Zones of groundwater Zone of Saturation : All pores are filled with water. Water table: upper surface or start of saturation zone

Ground water Aquifer:  is an underground layer of water- bearing permeable rock or unconsolidated materials (sandstone, limestone)

Ground water Aquitard:  is a zone within the earth that restricts the flow of groundwater from one aquifer to another. (shale)

Wells Ordinary well: water is pumped to surface from below the water table Artesian well: water flows from far away, no pumping needed

Superior Huron Ontario Michigan St. Clair Erie