Ch 9: Flowing Water
About This Chapter
Flowing Water - Chapter Summary
Use this chapter to enjoy a comprehensive overview of flowing water concepts. Lessons provide in-depth analyses of drainage basins, bedrock channels, stream valleys, landforms and more. Top instructors provide clear and engaging explanations that make studying these topics fun and easy. Once you've completed this chapter, you will be able to:
- List characteristics of drainage basins
- Discuss the basics of laminar and turbulent streamflows
- Explain the impact of erosion and deposition on landforms
- Share how the landform diagram shows the geological progression of a landscape
- Detail how stream valleys are formed
- Define the base level of a stream and discuss its effect on erosion
- Describe the formation of bedrock channels
- Identify and discuss types of alluvial channels
All of the lessons in this chapter can be viewed as fun videos or read as full transcripts. Videos average about 8 minutes each and feature clickable timelines you can use to skip to key topics. Transcripts can be read online or printed and added to your study materials. Multiple-choice quizzes and a practice exam can help you assess your comprehension of the lessons in this chapter. After reviewing the lessons, if you have questions about the topics covered, feel free to submit them to our experts.
1. Drainage Basins: Definition & Characteristics
Do you know where the water in your area flows? In this lesson, we will explore the system of drainage basins and how they help develop river systems. We will also investigate some extreme examples of drainage basins.
2. Laminar & Turbulent Streamflows
Streams come in many different shapes and sizes. They can also vary in speed and direction of flow. In this lesson, we will explore two different ways that water can flow through a stream.
3. Effect of Erosion and Deposition on Landforms
Landforms are constantly being broken down and reformed by the processes of weathering, erosion, and deposition. In this lesson, we explore chemical and physical weathering and how the face of the earth gets changed.
4. How a Landform Diagram Describes the Geological Progression of a Landscape
This lesson describes what a landform diagram is. We'll also discuss some basic laws of geology that can help scientists deduce both the order of events that create a landform and the geologic events that occur after a landform's formation.
5. The Formation of Stream Valleys
Running water is very powerful and has the ability to change the land around it. In this lesson, we will explore the creation of stream valleys and how they are shaped by the water that runs through them.
6. Base Level of a Stream: Definition & Effect on Erosion
Water stops flowing when it reaches its lowest level; this is called the base level. Learn about the base level of a stream, how it affects erosion, and some examples of local base levels, including lakes, dams and waterfalls.
7. Bedrock Channels: Formation & Process
Bedrock channels are eroded paths cut through solid rock foundations known as bedrock. Learn about bedrock channels and the processes that form them, including abrasion and plucking.
8. Alluvial Channels: Definition & Types
An alluvial channel is a water channel made up of loose sediments called alluvium. Learn about the types of alluvial channels, meandering channels and braided channels, and the characteristics that make them unique in this lesson.
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Other Chapters
Other chapters within the AP Environmental Science: Exam Prep course
- Environmental Science Basics
- Time & Dating in Geology
- The Lithosphere
- Understanding Earthquakes
- Volcanoes
- The Atmosphere and the Environment
- Weather and Storms
- Water Balance
- Ground Water Systems
- Oceanic Systems & Characteristics
- Life Cycle of Glaciers
- Water Issues & Conservation
- Minerals, Rocks & Soil
- Ecosystems
- Interaction Among Organisms in the Ecosystem
- Evolving Ecosystems
- Changing Ecosystems
- Population and the Environment
- Food and Agricultural Resources
- Forestry, Rangelands & Other Land Use
- Mining & Fishing
- Energy Concepts
- Renewable Energy Resources
- Nonrenewable Energy Sources
- Waste Management
- Effects of Humans on the Environment
- Sustaining the Environment
- Environmental Risk Analysis
- Global Environmental Economics
- Environmental Ethics & Politics
- AP Environmental Science Flashcards
