...

how does
water aid
mass wasting
on the Earths
surface?

Influence of Water
abundant water (1.36 billion km3 liquid
H2O) unique to Earth
many reservoirs:

oceans

97.2%

glaciers

2.1%

streams

0.0001%

lakes, swamps

0.017%

groundwater

0.625%

Running
(Surface) Water

Running Water
despite low proportion in streams:
(1) most important erosional agent
on Earth
(2) supplies about 8% of electricity
used in North America
(3) primary source of drinking,
industrial and irrigation water
(4) used for transportation

Runoff

occurs if amount of precipitation exceeds

infiltration capacity of soil/rock material

Sheet and Channel Flow

amount of runoff depends on:

rate of precipitation
infiltration capacity - maximum rate
at which soil or rock can absorb
water
saturation - function of porosity and
permeability of soil/rock material

Flow Regime
water flows on any slope,
no matter how slight
flow regime (nature of flow)
either
laminar
turbulent

Flow Regime
laminar
parallel lines of flow or streamlines
low velocity
flow over a smooth surface

Flow Regime
turbulent
streamlines intertwine or mix
high velocity
flow over a rough surface

... what
environments
characterize
movement of
water over the
Earths surface?

Sheet Flow

continuous film of water moving over

surface
not confined to depressions
causes sheet erosion

Channelized Flow

confined to long, trough-like

depressions
channelized flow of any size =

stream

... what features

are used to
describe
conditions of
stream or
channelized
flow?

1. Stream Gradient
slope over
which stream
flows under
gravity
vertical drop/
horizontal
distance
(meters/
kilometer or
feet/mile)
varies between
streams and
along channels

2. Channel Shape

variations in channel perimeter in contact

with water with constant cross-sectional
area:

broad shallow - maximum perimeter and friction

narrow deep - maximum perimeter and friction
semicircular - minimum perimeter and friction

3. Stream Velocity
depends on:

friction with
bank
channel shape
- amount of
water near
bank
channel
roughness rough banks
cause friction
volume of
water in
channel

4. Discharge
total volume of water moving
past a position in given period
of time:
Q = VA (m3/sec or ft3/sec)

where

V = velocity
A = cross sectional area

varies considerably along channel

and with seasonal precipitation

Along-Stream Variation

... how do
variations in
stream character
impact the ability
of running water
to mold Earths
surface?

Stream Energy
both potential energy and kinetic
energy
potential energy - energy of position
water at high elevation, higher potential
energy

kinetic energy - energy of motion

most dissipated as heat during flow

about 5% available to transport materials
and to erode

 by what
mechanisms
do streams
transport
sediments?

Stream Transport

total material transported

by stream - load

Stream Transport
transport as:
1 dissolved load - ions in solution
2 suspended load - particles in suspension
3 bed load - moves along stream bed

sliding

saltation

Fastest velocities

 what
is involved
during
stream
erosion?

Stream Base Level

lowest level to which stream can
erode its channel
temporary (or
local) base levels
- larger streams
or lakes into
which stream
flows
ultimate base
level - sea level,
never reached
along entire
stream course

Stream Base Level

variation in base
level changes
stream activity:
lowering base
level causes
stream to
downcut channel
raising base level
causes stream to
deposit sediment
and raises
channel

How do streams erode?

streams erode by:
solution
hydraulic action/lifting
abrasion

Hydraulic Action or Lifting

particles
moved by
water
motion
higher water
velocity,
larger and
greater
quantity of
particles
lifted

Hydraulic Action or Lifting

Abrasion

impact of water-transported particles

suspended and bed load particles scour
channel

Abrasion

sediment particles are smoothed and

rounded

Abrasion

Potholes - semi-circular
holes scoured by eddy
currents and swirling
sand/gravel

 do streams
change in a
predictable way
as they erode
and transport
sediment?

Stream Deposition

ultimately
most material
deposited
decreasing
water velocity
or chemical
changes
coarsest
material
dropped first
deposits

alluvium

Stream Profile
streams attempt
to develop an
equilibrium
profile - to
become graded
smooth concave

longitudinal



profile reflects equilibrium between
erosion and deposition
conditions exist locally and temporarily
any change in base level, discharge, flow
velocity, channel characteristics or
gradient disturbs equilibrium

so what
features might
be expected to
develop within
stream
systems?

Stream Systems
characteristic features include:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

braided streams
aluvial fans
meanders
oxbow lakes
floodplains
levees
terraces
deltas

Braided Streams

Braided Streams

channels split into many winding

pathways due to sediment deposition
heavy load variable discharge

Alluvial Fans

Alluvial Fans
lobate to
fan-shaped
alluvium
deposits,
some mud
flows due
to abrupt
gradient
change

Meanders

Meanders
migrate
outward and
downstream
- erosion
and
deposition

Meanders

Meanders

formed by any obstruction to flow

Meanders
Point Bars
sediment
deposited
on inner
edge of
meander
where water
velocity
slows

Cut Banks
steep
channel
banks due
to erosion
at outer
edge of
meander

Oxbow Lakes

Oxbow Lakes

abandoned
meander
loops
narrow
neck
between
meanders
cutoff
form new,
shorter
channel

Oxbow Lakes

Oxbow Lakes

Oxbow Lakes

sediment fill produces meander scar

Oxbow Lakes

Mature Stream Systems

Floodplains

Floodplains
floods occur

when discharge
exceeds channel
capacity
floods of various
sizes occur at
fairly regular
intervals
small floods may
occur every few
years

Floodplains
largest
floods
more
infrequent
once in
few
hundred
years

Floodplains

two basic types of level valley bottoms

adjacent to channel - erosional and
aggradational

Erosional Floodplains

created by lateral stream erosion

lateral accretion of successive
point bar deposits

Aggradational Floodplains
created by
stream
deposition
vertical
accretion of
relatively thin
fine-grained
layers
deposited by
flood waters

Aggradational Floodplains

marshy areas - back swamps - prevent

tributary streams from flowing directly into
stream creating yazoo streams that parallel
main stream until break in levee

Levees

Levees
gently sloped

ramparts
paralleling
stream
channel
floods deposit
coarser
material near
banks
water level in
stream
channel can
lie above level
of floodplain

Terraces

Terraces

erosional remnants of old floodplain

surfaces

Terraces

nearly flat
surfaces
bordering steep
slope along
stream banks
either
successive
downcutting of
stream or
increases in
stream
discharge

Deltas

Deltas
streams enter
standing body
- deposit
sediment
network of
distributaries smaller
channels
formed by
splitting of
main channel
sediment
eventually
blocks channel

Deltas

ideal sequence of sediments

deposited by distributary
topset beds
(bottom to top):
foreset beds
bottomset beds

Deltas
important
hosts to
fossil fuel
deposits
(coal, oil and
natural gas)
delta forms
varied

Deltas
three major types:
1) Stream-dominated deltas
2) Wave-dominated deltas
3) Tide-dominated deltas

Stream-Dominated Deltas

consist of long, finger-like sand bodies

Stream-Dominated Deltas

deposited as distributary channels

prograde (advance) to sea

Stream-Dominated Deltas

distributaries create bird's-foot shaped delta

Wave-Dominated Deltas
distributary
channel
sediments
eroded by
waves
redeposited
as barrier
islands
delta
margin
migrates
seaward

Tide-Dominated Deltas
tidal
currents
erode
distributary
sediments
redeposit
as sand
bars
parallel to
tidal flow
direction

...what about
the areas that
different
streams drain?

Drainage Basins
area
drained by
a stream
system
(river and
tributaries)

Drainage Basins
connection
of
individual
streams
and stream
valleys -

stream
network

Drainage Basins

separated from surrounding ones by divides

(high land surrounding a stream system)

Drainage Basins and Drainage Patterns

order of stream
is number of
tributary
streams:
First Order no tributaries
Second Order
- at least two
first-order
tnlbutaries
Third Order at least two
second-order
tributaries,
etc.

Drainage Basins and Drainage Patterns

as order
increases,
number of
streams of
that order
in basin
decreases,
and size of
drainage
basin
increases

...so how
do stream
systems
develop?

Stream Valley Development

form through
stream
erosion and
mass wasting
processes
become
wider and
deeper
downstream
by several
processes

Downcutting

downward erosion of stream channel

stream energy (capacity) exceeds stream's load
resistant rock and/or slope processes minimal -

narrow, steep-sided valleys (canyons and

gorges)

Lateral Erosion

bank/valley wall undermined, leading to mass

wasting and widening

sheet and rill erosion of valley walls balance
downcutting
V-shaped valleys (most common type)

Headward Erosion

lengthening of valley upstream by

erosion of headwater divide areas

Stream Piracy

diversion of part of one stream's

drainage because of headward
erosion by another stream

...so what
are the
different
drainage
patterns of
streams?

Stream Drainage Patterns

stream networks display definite
drainage patterns or geometric
relationships:

dendritic
radial
rectangular
trellis
deranged

Dendritic Drainage Patterns

tree-like stream network due to underlying

bedrock with uniform properties

Dendritic Drainage Patterns

Radial Drainage Patterns

streams radiate outward on newlyformed volcanoes and domes

Rectangular Drainage Patterns

channels with right angle bends where

streams follow joints or faults in resistant rock

Trellis Drainage Patterns

short tributaries join main stream at right

angles due to alternating bands of
resistant and non-resistant bedrock rock

Deranged Drainage Patterns

... can features of

these different
drainage systems
be related to
underlying rock?

Superposed Streams
streams cut

through ridge
or mountain
lying in path
water gaps:
steep-walled
notch
streams cut
through
overlying
strata
expose buried
ridge or
mountain

Incised Meanders
erodes
downward to
bedrock
meanders
established
before
stream cut
bedrock

Incised Meanders
deep,
meandering
canyons
with no
floodplains
if little
lateral
erosion

Incised Meanders

Incised Meanders

natural bridges - rock span across

stream valley (created by meander
cutoff where lateral erosion)

Other Stream Features

Waterfalls

stream flows over

resistant rock units
underlain by nonresistant rock
stream flows over
cliffs

Rapids

resistant rock units

outcropping in the
stream channel

...what is the
effect of
civilization on
drainage
systems?

Effects of Urbanization
decreased
amount of
precipitation
that infiltrates
ground
more runoff at
faster rate
streams prone
to flash
flooding

Effects of Urbanization

decrease in lag time (time between start of

precipitation and highest stream water level)

Effects of Urbanization

peak discharge increases during precipitation,

increasing chances of flooding

Effects of Urbanization

channel size increases to handle

peak discharge (increases
sedimentation downstream)

Effects of Urbanization

base flow (amount of water delivered to

stream from groundwater seepage)
decreased because less water infiltrates

Effects of Deforestation

decreased
vegetation
similar in
effect to
urbanization
about 35-50
years for
stream
system to
recover after
clear-cutting
of trees

...lets now
examine
another part of
our Earths
water cycle?