Chapter 9 Section 1
Runoff
Water flowing downslope along Earth's surface
Hydrologic cycle
The cycle through which water in the hydrosphere moves; includes evaporation, condensation, precipitation and infiltration
Crest
The highest point water reaches during a flood
Bed load
The larger particles that roll or are pushed along the bottom of a stream bed
Solution
The method of transport for materials that are dissolved in the stream's water
Divide
A high land area that separates one watershed from another
Tributary
A stream or river that flows into a larger river
Watershed
All of the land area whose water drains into a stream system (ex/Potomac, Susquehanna)
Floodplain
An area along a river that is susceptible to being covered with water that overflows from a stream's banks
Levee
Deposited sediment that builds up and forms ridges along the bank of a river
Flood stage
If the water level reaches a point higher than the banks of the river, it is in this state
Stream load
Material that a stream carries
Suspension
Materials held up by the turbulence of a stream's moving water (sand, silt & clay)
Downstream flooding
Occurs in large areas after long, lasting intense rainfall, snow melt, or spring thaws
Upstream flooding
Occurs in small areas after short, intense rainfall
Flood
Occurs when more water pours into a stream than the banks of the stream channel can hold
Discharge
The quantity of water in a stream that passes a given point in a period of time (width x depth x velocity)