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River Systems

Total questions: 33

Worksheet time: 25mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

The start of a river is called the what?

a)

River summit

b)

Headwaters

c)

River start

d)

River mouth

2.
A river starts very small before getting larger. What is the name given to a small river that joins a larger river?
a)
Confluence
b)
Tribunal
c)
Tributary
d)
Joiner
3.
A meander is best described as ...
a)
A straight section of the river.
b)
A winding section of a lake.
c)
A section of the river that joins another river.
d)
A winding section of a river.
4.
When the bends of a Meander get close enough they can join, creating a new river path. What is left is called ...
a)
An oxback lake
b)
An oxen lake
c)
An oxcart lake
d)
An oxbow lake
5.
"When rocks scrape along the river bank and bed" is what type of erosion?
a)
Attrition
b)
Abrasion
c)
Solution
d)
Hydraulic Action
6.
I am the land that gets flooded when the river overflows. What am I?
a)
Levee
b)
Delta
c)
Floodplain
d)
Meander
7.

In a meander, where can you expect to have erosion and thus the formation of the cutbank?

a)

Inside the curve

b)

Outside the curve

8.
What is the name of the point where a river ends?
a)
Tributary
b)
Water Shed
c)
Confluence
d)
Mouth 
9.
What is a delta?
a)
Area of water
b)
fan shaped mass of material deposited at the mouth of a stream
c)
slope of land
d)
sediments deposited at a river
10.
An embankment built to prevent the overflow of a river is called a 
a)
delta
b)
mouth
c)
divide
d)
levee
11.

The land area that drains and supplies water to a river is called a

a)

water table

b)

trailer

c)

aquifer

d)

drainage network

12.
Deposition is when ...
a)
Sediments and materials are moved along the river.
b)
Sediments and materials are dropped along the river.
c)
Sediments and materials are suspended in the water.
d)
Sediments and materials are move into the ocean.
13.
The steepness or vertical drop of a stream or river
a)
discharge
b)
runoff
c)
gradient
d)
channel
14.
What does this image show?
a)
Oxbow Lake
b)
Headwaters
c)
Runoff
d)
Delta
15.

Where will there be the most erosion?

a)

A

b)

B

c)

C

d)

D

16.

A deposit that forms on the inner side of a meander where deposition occurs.

a)

Point Bar

b)

Cutbank

c)

Oxbow

d)

Headwater

17.

Pick the picture that depicts the greatest channel sinuosity.

a)
b)
c)
18.

The boundary between two drainage networks, shown by the red line, is called the drainage

a)

border

b)

divide

c)

boundary

d)

ceiling

19.

What type of drainage pattern is displayed here by the river in blue?

a)

radial

b)

structurally controlled

c)

dendritic

d)

distributary

20.

These river rapids are an example of

a)

laminar flow

b)

turbulent flow

21.

What is the region of calm water found behind the large rock called?

a)

eddie

b)

pothole

c)

hydraulic

22.

Which of the following factors does NOT influence a rivers discharge?

a)

rainfall

b)

snowmelt

c)

gradient

d)

water velocity

23.

Where in a rivers profile would it have it's greatest volume of sediment load?

a)

headwaters

b)

foothills

c)

mouth

24.

Identify this depositional featured created as a stream exits a steep mountain front.

a)

braided stream

b)

alluvial fan

c)

radial deposit

d)

point bar

25.

Tectonics can cause either uplift or subsidence. Which of these would lead to stream incision?

a)

uplift

b)

subsidence

26.

Waterfalls typically occur when a streams incision reach a layer of relatively ___ rock.

a)

soft

b)

hard

27.

A stream will tend to drop it's bed load when it's velocity ___

a)

increases

b)

decreases

28.

Identify this depositional feature found on the inside curve of the meander.

a)

beach

b)

oxbow

c)

cutbank

d)

point bar

29.

Where along a streams profile would you find the steepest gradient?

a)

Headwaters

b)

foothills

c)

delta

d)

mouth

30.

What name is used to describe a stream with a network of channels that constantly change.

a)

sinuous stream

b)

braided stream

c)

alluvial stream

d)

meandering stream

31.

Why do some streams exhibit a series of terraces as shown here?

a)

the result of several mega floods

b)

abandoned flood plain due to decreased base level

c)

glacial period that increases base level

32.

Which of these is a negative consequence of dam construction?

a)

creates an artificial reservoir

b)

creates hydroelectric power

c)

increases water storage

d)

prevents the transportation of sediment downstream

33.

Which of these is not a major river in the central valley that drains to SF Bay?

a)

San Jaoquin River

b)

Salinas River

c)

Sacramento River