ES | Stream Erosion and Deposition

What scenario would you expect to find the most erosion due to runoff?

• A shallow slope covered with grass

• A shallow, bare slope

• A steep slope covered with evergreen trees

• A steep, bare slope

Which of the following statements is not true?

• Water causes more erosion on slopes without plants
• Water flows from higher to lower ground
• Faster water erodes more sediment
• As water slows, smaller particles are deposited first

You are a planetary geologist investigating images of a planet elsewhere in the galaxy. You see gentle U-shaped valleys carved in the planet’s surface. Based on Earth’s geology what would you suspect caused these valleys?

• Stream erosion
• Glacial erosion
• Stream deposition
• Marine erosion

How would you expect the sizes of sediments deposited on a mountain to compare to those deposited downriver?

• Larger
• Smaller
• The same
• It is impossible to predict

When a stream or river starts to slow down, it:

• Picks up more sediment
• Erodes more rapidly
• Deposits fine sediments, but continues carrying larger rocks
• Deposits larger rocks, but continues carrying finer sediment

Why is the bed load downstream generally smaller and rounded compared to bed load upstream? Select all that apply

• Abrasion of stones by the river channel
• Selective transport of sediments
• Abrasion of stones due to collision between them
• Glaciers

The steeper the slope, the ________ the stream.

• Slower
• Broader
• Faster
• Curvier

Which of these are traits of a stream’s floodplain? Select all that apply

• It is nutrient rich
• Is broader and shallower than its channel
• Is where the stream deposits much of its sediment load
• its elevation is usually higher than the river bed

Streams with steep gradients have a(n) _____ velocity than those with gentle gradients.

• Greater
• Lesser
• Average
• None of these