Name: __________________________Date: ______________
Chapter 13 Study Guide
in the Rocky
Mountains
flooding
occurs
a steep
mountain
stream meets
dry, level
land
oxbow lake
the river
flows into a
lake
limestone
and marble
floodplain
volume of
water
flowing past
a given point
in a stream
soft bedrock
and a wet
climate
flood plains
1. The discharge of a stream is the VOLUME OF WATER FLOWING
PAST A GIVEN POINT IN A STREAM
2. In a relatively short period of time, a river has formed a V-shaped valley.
Which traits probably characterize the region where the river formed?
SOFT BEDROCK AND A WET CLIMATE
3. What types of bedrock are dissolved most easily by running water?
LIMESTONE AND MARBLE
4. Where is the Western Divide for the Mississippi River System?
IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS
5. Under which of the following conditions is a river most likely to deposit
all of its sediments? WHEN THE RIVER FLOWS INTO A LAKE
6. Fertile agricultural areas are characteristic of many of the world’s
FLOOD PLAINS
7. Stream discharge and velocity increase when FLOODING OCCURS
8. A curved body of water that forms when deposits separate a meander
from its river is called a(n) OXBOW LAKE
9. An alluvial fan forms when A STEEP MOUNTAIN STREAM MEETS
DRY, LEVEL LAND
10. The part of a river’s valley that is underwater when the river overflows
its banks is called the FLOOD PLAIN
Speed of the
water
carrying the
sediments
Running
water
Delta
Mississippi
boulders
Alluvial Fan
watershed
limestone
increase the
stream’s
muddy
appearance,
decrease the
stream’s
calm
appearance,
and increase
the stream’s
ability to
carry heavier
sediments
floodplain
11. All of the land drained by a stream and its tributaries is called a
WATER SHED
12. A large increase in stream velocity is likely to INCREASE THE
STREAM’S MUDDY APPEARANCE, DECREASE THE STREAM’S
CALM APPEARANCE, AND INCREASE THE STREAM’S ABILITY TO
CARRY HEAVIER SEDIMENTS
13. Material a small river carries in suspension includes all of the following
except BOULDERS
14. The bedrock that would erode most quickly in running water is
LIMESTONE-
15. The picture shows the layers in the bank of a river. The differences in
the size of the particles in the layers are most likely caused by differences
in the SPEED OF THE WATER CARRYING THE SEDIMENTS
16. The canyon shown in the picture was most likely formed by
RUNNING WATER
17. Identify the above land forms:
1: ALLUVIAL FAN 2: FLOOD PLAIN 3:DELTA
18. By how much has the length of the delta increased from 1982 to
1996? 4 km (answer is not in word bank)
19. The largest river system in the United States is the MISSISSIPPI
RIVER SYSTEM
20. According the above map, the largest river basin in Virginia is the
JAMES RIVER BASIN (answer is not in word bank).
21. List the letters in the sequence that best describes the construction of
a delta from the youngest formation to the oldest formation C A D B
(answer is not in word bank)
Land Cover
Run Off
Grassland
10%-50%
Crop Land
30%-70%
Bare Clay Soils
50%- 80%
Asphalt Streets
70%-95%
22. Which type of land cover absorbs the MOST Rainwater?
GRASSLAND (answer not in word bank)
bed load
flood
delta
deposition
divide
drainage
basin
meanders
Water once
flowed
river system
tributary
watershed
23. Virginia has large deposits of sand and gravel. These are usually found
in areas where WATER ONCE FLOWED
24. The higher land that separates one drainage basin from another is called
A DIVIDE
25. The phenomenon whereby a river overflows its banks is called FLOOD
26. All the land that drains into the river either directly or through its
tributaries is called (also called watershed) DRAINAGE BASIN
27. Broad looping bends in a river are called MEANDERS
28. A stream that runs into another stream or river is called TRIBUTARY
29. A river and all of its tributaries is a RIVER SYSTEM
30. The process in which materials are dropped, such as sand or silt
by a stream is DEPOSITION
31. All the land that drains into the river either directly or through its
tributaries (also called a drainage basin) is WATER SHED
32. A fan-shaped deposit that forms when a river flows into a quiet or
large body of water, such as a lake, an ocean, or inland sea is a DELTA
33. Sand, pebbles, and boulders that are moved along the bed of a stream
and are too heavy to be carried in suspension is called BED LOAD