Question 1

What three factors of a drainage basin influence the flow response to rainfall? 
A) slope
B) size
C) shape
D) all of these

Accepted Answer

D

Question 2

Compared with curve 2 on this hydrograph, what is a possible explanation for curve 1? 
A) the basin for curve 1 has steeper slopes than the basin for curve 2
B) the storm recorded by curve 1 was shorter and more intense than the storm represented by curve 2
C) curve 1 shows the same area as curve 2 but after urbanization
D) all of these are possible

Accepted Answer

D

Question 3

Based on the accompanying hydrograph, what was the stream discharge when the data period shown in the graph ended? 
A) 1.8 meters per second
B) 4 meters per second
C) 4 cubic meters per second
D) 9 cubic meters per second
E) 10 cubic meters per second

Accepted Answer

C

Question 4

A delta forms when:
A) ocean waves, especially during storms, pile up sediment along the coast
B) a steep mountain front collapses sending sediment out into the sea
C) a river slows and deposits sediment as it enters a lake or sea
D) windblown dust slides down steep hillsides and into a lake

Accepted Answer

Delta formation occurs when a river enters a slower-moving body of water such as a lake or sea, causing the river to deposit its sediment load. This accumulation of sediment forms a delta.

Question 5

What units of measure would most likely be represented by letters A-E on the bottom of the accompanying hydrograph? 
A) meters
B) hours
C) kilograms
D) miles

Accepted Answer

The answer of What units of measure would most likely...

Question 6

What is the mostly likely setting for this drainage pattern? 
A) the rocks have a relatively equal resistance to erosion
B) drainages have followed a series of fractures that branch off of one another
C) the area has folded or faulted rocks with different resistances to erosion
D) a volcano once existed here but has been partly eroded away

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is the mostly likely setting for...

Question 7

What is the mostly likely setting for this drainage pattern? 
A) the rocks have a relatively equal resistance to erosion
B) drainages have followed a series of fractures that branch off of one another
C) the area has folded or faulted rocks with different resistances to erosion
D) a volcano once existed here but has been partly eroded away

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is the mostly likely setting for...

Question 8

What is a reasonable interpretation for the flow event recorded by this hydrograph? 
A) there were two pulses of runoff because there were two storms
B) the drainage basin has several distinct parts
C) one pulse could be due to snowmelt and the other to rain
D) all of these

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is a reasonable interpretation for the...

Question 9

Soluble materials in flowing water can be removed and transported by a process called:
A) dissolution
B) tumbling
C) saltation
D) gravity

Accepted Answer

Dissolution is the process through which soluble materials are dissolved in water and then transported as the water flows. This is a common way minerals and other soluble substances are moved through environments.

Question 10

What is formed when a river meets the sea and slows down and deposits its load of sediments?
A) a delta
B) a beach
C) meanders

Accepted Answer

A delta is formed when a river meets the sea or a lake, slows down, and deposits its load of sediment, often creating a fan-shaped or triangular area.

Question 11

What is a drainage divide?
A) A ridge or strip of high ground separating one drainage basin from another
B) The area where a stream flows into a lake or ocean
C) The total area drained by a stream and its tributaries
D) The arrangement of a stream and its tributaries

Accepted Answer

A drainage divide is a geographical feature in the form of a ridge or area of higher ground that separates neighboring drainage basins. Water on either side of a divide flows into different basins.

Question 12

Smaller subsidiary channels that feed main channels of rivers are called:
A) tributaries
B) drainage systems
C) drainage patterns

Accepted Answer

Tributaries are smaller rivers or streams that flow into a larger river or main stem. They contribute to the flow and volume of the main channel, making them an integral part of a river system.

Question 13

The amount of water flowing through a channel over a given amount of time is called its:
A) discharge
B) rate of flow
C) velocity
D) drainage basin

Accepted Answer

Discharge refers to the volume of water flowing through a channel over a specific period of time.

Question 14

Which event is best represented by the hydrograph shown here? 
A) a summer thunderstorm
B) a very long period of steady light rain
C) a long drought with no rain for months
D) a winter snowstorm followed by very cold weather

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which event is best represented by the...

Question 15

The force behind a river's flow is:
A) gravity
B) its sediment load
C) the shape of the river bed
D) its velocity

Accepted Answer

Gravity is the primary force that causes rivers to flow, as it pulls the water downhill.

Question 16

The size of clasts that a stream can carry is primarily controlled by:
A) the water temperature
B) the dissolved and suspended load of a stream
C) how close the stream is to the ocean
D) the velocity and turbulence of the current
E) whether it is a permanent or ephemeral stream

Accepted Answer

The size of clasts that a stream can carry is primarily determined by the velocity and turbulence of the current. Faster and more turbulent water can carry larger clasts, while slower-moving water carries smaller particles.

Question 17

A hydrograph shows:
A) the change in a river's discharge over time
B) the beginning and ending elevations of a river
C) the change in the sediment load of a river
D) the length and width of a river

Accepted Answer

A hydrograph is a graph that displays the rate of flow (discharge) versus time past a specific point in a river, or other channel or conduit carrying flow. It essentially shows how a river's discharge changes over time, typically in response to precipitation events.

Question 18

If erosion and deposition occur at the same rate, how can we best describe the particles of sediment on a streambed?
A) only very small particles will be present along the stream bottom
B) particles neither move in, nor move out of this part of the stream
C) as the sediment moves downstream, it is replaced by a similar volume of sediment
D) pebbles and cobbles carried away are replaced by the same number of smaller particles

Accepted Answer

If erosion and deposition occur at the same rate, the sediment that moves downstream is replaced by a similar volume of sediment, maintaining a balance.

Question 19

Which of the following is true about how a stream erodes material?
A) abrasion is concentrated on the upstream side of obstructions
B) turbulence of the water is less important than the temperature, which affects viscosity
C) erosion occurs equally on two sides of a bend
D) water cannot erode unless it is carrying sediment
E) all of these

Accepted Answer

Abrasion, a key process in the erosion caused by streams, is concentrated on the upstream side of obstructions. This is because the flow of water, carrying sediment and other materials, directly impacts and wears away at obstacles it encounters in its path.

Question 20

What is the pattern of discharge shown by this hydrograph? 
A) discharge gradually increases and quickly decreases
B) discharge quickly increases and gradually decreases
C) discharge gradually decreases and quickly increases
D) discharges quickly decreases and gradually increases

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is the pattern of discharge shown...

Quiz 16: Streams and Flooding

What three factors of a drainage basin influence the flow response to rainfall?

Compared with curve 2 on this hydrograph, what is a possible explanation for curve 1?

Based on the accompanying hydrograph, what was the stream discharge when the data period shown in the graph ended?

A delta forms when:

What units of measure would most likely be represented by letters A-E on the bottom of the accompanying hydrograph?

What is the mostly likely setting for this drainage pattern?

What is the mostly likely setting for this drainage pattern?

What is a reasonable interpretation for the flow event recorded by this hydrograph?

Soluble materials in flowing water can be removed and transported by a process called:

What is formed when a river meets the sea and slows down and deposits its load of sediments?

What is a drainage divide?

Smaller subsidiary channels that feed main channels of rivers are called:

The amount of water flowing through a channel over a given amount of time is called its:

Which event is best represented by the hydrograph shown here?

The force behind a river's flow is:

The size of clasts that a stream can carry is primarily controlled by:

A hydrograph shows:

If erosion and deposition occur at the same rate, how can we best describe the particles of sediment on a streambed?

Which of the following is true about how a stream erodes material?

What is the pattern of discharge shown by this hydrograph?