1. Factors that Affect River Flow

2. But First...Let’s Review How Water Erodes Soil
Pulls material from bottom and sides of a river because water is the…
Universal Solvent!
Uses ______ to dissolve the solute.
Faster water = more erosion
polarity

3. How Water Erodes Pulls material from bottom and sides of a river
Faster water = more erosion
Abrasion – The wearing away of rock by a grinding action

4. How Water Erodes Load – any, and all, sediment in the water
Faster water = larger load

5. Factors Affecting Rivers Load
Slope
Flow Volume
Streambed shape
Depth
Width
Depth and width are determined by LAND CHARICTERISTICS
Ex: Type of rock, amount of soil, soil composition
All effect water speed!
River’s speed dictates the River’s load!

6. Slope How would slope effect the flow of a river?
How would slope effect the load of a river?

7. Flow Volume Looking for volume of water per second
To find volume…take the average area of a cross section
Flow volume = (velocity of stream)(width)(depth)

9. Streambed Shape

12. What is the speed at which a river can move coarse sand?
Small Pebbles?
Large boulders?

13. A stream’s speed increases to 600 cm/s during a flood
A stream’s speed increases to 600 cm/s during a flood. What are the largest particles the stream can move?

14. What is the relationship between the speed of a stream and the size of particle it can move?