THE PROCESS BY WHICH WEATHERED ROCK
SEDIMENTS ARE TRANSPORTED
I RUNNING WATER - THE MOST EFFECTIVE AGENT OF
EROSION. (ENERGY FROM THE SUN RESULTS IN
RUNNING WATER ON THE SURFACE)
A) WEATHERING CAUSED BY RUNNING WATER
1) MECHANICAL (PHYSICAL)
– BREAK UP THE
BEDROCK USING SAND, PEBBLES, AND
BOULDERS AS CUTTING TOOLS. THE
GRINDING ACTION IS CALLED ABRASION .
THE CUTTING TOOLS THEMSELVES MAY
BECOME ROUNDED.
2) CHEMICALLY – WATER DISSOLVES
SOLUBLE MINERALS FOUND IN LIMESTONE,
MARBLE, AND OTHER ROCKS HELD
TOGETHER BY CALCITE.
B) RIVERS CAN TRANSPORT SEDIMENTS IN 3 WAYS
1) SOLUTION – MATERIAL DISSOLVED FROM
THE BEDROCK (Ca, NaCl, etc) 2 5% SOLUTION
2) SUSPENSION – MATERIALS SUCH AS CLAY,
SILT, AND FINE SAND SUSPENDED IN THE
WATER. WATER APPEARS MUDDY AND
CLOUDY. FOUND IN TURBULENT STREAMS.
50% SUSPENSION

3) BED LOAD – SEDIMENT THAT MOVES
ALONG THE STREAM BED. 25% BED LOAD
C) CARRYING POWER – INDICATED BY THE TOTAL
AMOUNT OF SEDIMENT IN THE STREAM AND BY
THE SIZE OF THE PARTICLES. CARRYING POWER
IS DEPENDENT ON SPEED AND DISCHARGE OF
THE STREAM.
D) DISCHARGE – THE VOLUME OF WATER FLOWING
PAST A GIVEN POINT IN THE STREAM AT A
GIVEN TIME
E) SPEED – INCREASES WITH STEEPER SLOPES
AND/OR AN INCREASED DISCHARGE
F) AN INCREASE IN SPEED AND DISCHARGE = AN
INCREASE IN CARRYING POWER WHICH = AN
INCREASE IN EROSION
G) A STREAM MOVING AT HIGH SPEED WITH A
HIGH DISCHARGE CAN CARRY MUCH LARGER
SEDIMENTS THAN A SLOW MOVING STREAM.
EXAMPLE: SPRING TIME SNOW MELTING AND
EXCESSIVE RAIN
II THE RIVER VALLEY
A) RIVERS FORM V-SHAPED VALLEYS.
**RIVERS TEND TO HAVE A V-SHAPED VALLEY
BECAUSE THEY TEND TO FLOW AT HIGH SPEEDS
AND DIG INTO THE STREAM BED.

B) THE STREAM CUTS DOWN INTO THE BEDROCK
FORMING STEEP SLOPES.
1) INTERMITTENT OR AN ANNUAL STREAM IS
ONE WHICH OCCURS ONLY UNDER
CONDITIONS OF HIGH MOISTURE (SPRING)
2) PERMINANT OR PERENNIAL STREAM IS ONE
THAT ALWAYS EXISTS EXCEPT FOR IN
TIMES OF DROUGHT.
A) OCCURS WHEN THE STREAM HAS CUT
BELOW THE WATER TABLE
B) BASE LEVEL IS THE LOWEST LEVEL A
RIVER CAN CUT INTO ITS BED.

TO FORM A PERMANENT
STREAM, RAINWATER MUST
FLOW DOWN A SLOPE AND DIG
DEEP ENOUGH TO CUT INTO
THE WATER TABLE. THIS
WEARING AWAY OF THE LAND
TO FORM A STREAM VALLEY
IS CALLED HEAD WARD
EROSION .
C) RIVER SYSTEMS – RIVERS AND ALL OF ITS
TRIBUTARIES
1) DRAINAGE BASIN or WATERSHED- ALL OF
THE LAND THAT DRAINS INTO THE RIVER
EITHER DIRECTLY OR THROUGH ITS
TRIBUTARIES

2)
A DIVIDE IS AN AREA OF HIGH LAND THAT
SEPARATES ONE RIVER VALLEY FROM
ANOTHER.

ON EITHER SIDE OF A DIVIDE A
RIVER SYSTEM MAY FORM.
III WATERFALLS AND RIVER DEPOSITS
A) A WATERFALL IS A STREAM WHICH PLUNGES
OVER A CLIFF
1) TEMPORARY FEATURES BECAUSE IT IS A
LOCATION WHERE STREAM EROSION IS
GREATEST.
2) UNDERMINING – AS WATER FALLS INTO
THE PLUNGE POOL AT THE BOTTOM OF THE
WATERFALL, IT ERODES THE ROCK AT ITS
BASE. (CREATES AN OVERHANG)
3) AS PIECES BREAK OFF FROM THE TOP THE
WATERFALL, IT RECEDES FARTHER
UPSTREAM.
B) DEPOSITION OF SEDIMENT OCCURS WHEN
THERE IS A DECREASE IN EITHER SPEED OR
DISCHARGE
1) SPEED DECREASES AS SLOPE DECREASES
2)
DISCHARGE DECREASES WITH A LACK OF
PRECIPITATION
C) A FLOOD PLAIN IS THE WIDENED VALLEY
FLOOR AREA WHICH WILL ACCUMULATE
WATER DURING TIMES OF EXCESS RAIN WHEN
THE RIVER FLOODS.

D) MEANDERS ARE BROAD CURVES IN THE RIVER
(EACH BEND OR TURN)
EROSION IS GREATEST ON THE OUTSIDE OF A
MEANDER WHERE WATER IS FLOWING THE
FASTEST. (CUT BANK)
DEPOSITION IS GREATER ON THE INSIDE OF
THE MEANDER WHERE THE WATER FLOWS
SLOWER. (FILL BANK)
E) OXBOW LAKE - MEANDERS CAN ONLY BECOME
SO LARGE BEFORE THEY BREAK THROUGH
INTO ANOTHER MEANDER. THE RIVER THEN
DEPOSITS MUD AND SILT ALONG THE END OF
THE ABANDONED MEANDER . THE NOW
SEPARATED MEANDER BECOMES A LAKE
.
RUNNING WATER DEPOSITION
**RUNNING WATER DEPOSITS WELL-SORTED
PARTICLES
A) VERTICAL SORTING – WHEN SEDIMENTS ARE
SUDDENLY DEPOSITED INTO WATER. THE
PARTICLES SEPARATE BY SIZE WITH THE
LARGEST ON THE BOTTOM AND SMALLEST ON
TOP.

B) HORIZONTAL SORTING – WHEN RIVERS EMPTY
THEIR SEDIMENTS INTO QUIET BODIES OF
WATER. PARTICLES ARE SORTED BY SIZE WITH
LARGER PARTICLES BEING FOUND CLOSER TO
THE SHORE AND SMALLER PARTICLES BEING
CARRIED OUT INTO THE BODY OF WATER TO BE
DEPOSITED.
DELTAS – LEVEL FAN SHAPED DEPOSITS AT
THE MOUTHS OF GREAT RIVERS (NILE &
MISS.) FORM FROM RIVERS FLOWING INTO
QUIET BODIES OF WATER