The Fluvial Process
Fact or Fiction Quiz
Introduction
fluvial
-
processes involving running water
carving deep valleys
wearing down mountains
filling in valleys
Grand Canyon,
Australian interior, Death Valley
Fundamental Concepts
concept of watershed
an area drained entirely by a stream system
contains
tributaries & interfluves
perennial and intermittent streams
pollution originates in watershed basin
channel flow - cubic feet per second (cfs)
Q (
volume
) = A (area) x V (velocity)
Secret Ravine vs. Mississippi River
Erosion by Overland Flow
splash erosion
- begins when rain starts falling
unless deflected by vegetation
sheet erosion
- soil becomes saturated
carries loose material away
rills -
tiny channels
from
concentrated flow etched into soil
visible erosion
gullies
-
"rills" coalesce into larger channels
scours away top soil
stream system?
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