l a b1- departmentof geography（l b1 - departmentof地理）（9页）.docVIP

LAB 5 RIVERS AND FLUVIAL LANDFORMS OBJECTIVES To use air photos and topographic maps as complements to each other, gaining information from photographs that is not shown on maps. To use air photos and topographic maps to identify fluvial landforms. To calculate the sinuosity (P) and gradient of a channel from a topographic map. To differentiate alluvial channel pattern types based on morphological features that can be observed and measured on a map or air photo. INTRODUCTION TO FLUVIAL GEOMORPHOLOGY Stream-channel processes are responsible for shaping much of the land around us. Streams not only erode and transport material from the land, but they also deposit sediment to create new landforms. Because streams are such an important component in the formation of landscapes, there is an entire sub-field devoted to their study, known as fluvial geomorphology. Channel Types: bedrock and alluvial channels Streams carry water and sediment from discrete areas known as drainage basins or watersheds. The amount of water and sediment supplied by a basin depends on factors such as the amount of rainfall, the erodibility of the land, and the size of the basin. These factors vary from place to place, and accordingly, there are differences in processes and morphology from one stream to another. Some rivers flow on or very close to bedrock. These bedrock channels are usually quite steep, flow in narrow valleys, and have little opportunity to build fluvial landforms. Other rivers, termed alluvial rivers, flow upon a relatively thick layer of fluvial sediment, or alluvium, and have greater ability to modify their channel and create floodplains and other fluvial landforms, such as bluffs and terraces. Figure 5.1. Can you differentiate bedrock channels from the alluvial river? (from A.H. Strahler and A.N. Strahler, Modern Physical Geography 4th ed., J. Wiley and Sons Inc. ?1992) Alluvial Channel Patterns: Straight, Meandering, and Braided Alluvial stream channels ex