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Published byTiffany Whitehead Modified over 9 years ago
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Running Water
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Rivers Systems
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Watershed Land from which water runs off into streams (drainage basin)
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Tributaries Feeder streams that flow into a main river. Where were these located on our watershed diagram?
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A few terms to know….. Divide -ridges or elevated regions of high ground that separate watersheds. Headwaters - Beginning of a stream Velocity - Distance water travels over time.
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More terms to know…. Discharge - volume of water moved by a stream within a given time. Gradient - steepness of a stream’s slope
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Stream Erosion
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channel The path that a stream follows
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headward erosion process of lengthening and branching of a stream
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How old is that river? Youthful river straight erodes rapidly V-shaped few tributaries has waterfalls and rapids
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Mature river meandering (winding) slow erosion U-shaped lots of tributaries holds lots of water
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Old river gradient and velocity decreases no more erosion more meandering
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River Basins A river basin is the land that water flows across or under on its way to a river. Large river basins are made up of many smaller watersheds
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Lakes A depression in the surface of the earth that collects and holds water Which material would collect and hold water better: clay, sand, or gravel?
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Lake Origins Natural lakes originate in different ways in surface depressions and low areas. Oxbow Lakes Form when streams cut off meanders and leave isolated channels of water
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Lake Origins Landslide Lake Stream flow is blocked by sediment from landslides
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Lake Origins Prehistoric Lakes Remnants of prehistoric lakes that have receded to lower-lying areas Glacial Lakes Basins of these lakes formed as glaciers gouged out the land during the ice ages. Glacial moraines dammed the depression = moraine-dammed lakes
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Lake Origins Cirque Lakes Circular depression carved out by a glacier carved high in the mountains by valley glaciers. Kettle or Pothole Lakes Blocks of glacial ice left behind/blocked by rocks that melt and leave a depression
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Man Made Lakes (Reservoirs) Dammed rivers that create lakes Used to create Hydroelectric power!
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Amount of dissolved oxygen helps determine quality of lake water and its ability to support life
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Eutrophication Process by which lakes become rich in nutrients from the surrounding watershed
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Eutrophication Sources Wastes from Industry Wastes from Sewage Systems Pesticide/herbicide runoff from farms Illegal dumping Leaking of storage tanks Types Copper = leaching from rock weathering, corrosion of piping Nitrates = Most common! Septic tanks, fertilizers, organic wastes (poop) Phosphates = fertilizers, industrial wastes Chlorine = from disinfection
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What this mean for people… Copper = Can lead to liver damage or anemia Nitrates = starve body of oxygen – “cyanosis” = “blue baby syndrome” = occurs in infants who drink water contaminated with nitrates Phosphates = excessive amounts can cause algal blooms in ponds/lakes Chlorine = can combine with other compounds forming potentially carcinogenic compounds (cancer causing compounds)
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Wetlands Land area that is covered with water for a large part of the year AKA: bogs, marshes, swamps
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Bogs Receive water from precipitation Soils tend to be rich in SPHAGNUM = peat moss Peat moss breaks down= acidic soil Acidic soil supports unusual plants
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Marshes Form along mouths of streams and in areas with extensive deltas Grasses, reeds, sedges, rushes, and abundant wildlife
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