| source |
a
river’s
beginning—often
melting mountain
snows or a spring
issuing from the
ground |
| headwaters |
a
river’s upper
reaches |
| mouth |
the
place where a
river enters the
sea |
| upriver |
traveling
along a river in
the direction of
its source; also
called
"upstream" |
| downriver |
traveling
in the direction a
river flows; also
called
"downstream" |
| tributary |
a
stream or river
flowing into or
joining a larger
stream or river |
| distributary |
any
of the numerous
streams a river
divides into when
it reaches the sea |
| meander |
a
broad, looping
bend in a river;
It can also be
used as a verb: The
river meandered
across the tundra. |
| delta |
a
large body of
sediment deposited
at a river’s
mouth, generally
triangular in
shape |
| anadromous |
Animals
that live
primarily in the
sea but breed in
rivers, including
salmon and
alewives. |
| catadromous |
Animals
that live
primarily in
rivers but breed
in the sea,
including the
river eel. |
| dendritic
pattern |
a
tree-like
arrangement
characteristic of
rivers that flow
across horizontal
bedrock |
| trellis
pattern |
a
hatrack-like
arrangement formed
by rivers flowing
over folded
bedrock |
| radial
pattern |
a
spoke-like
arrangement
typical of rivers
flowing down
volcanic slopes |
| annular
pattern |
a
ring-like
arrangement
characteristic of
rivers flowing on
domes |
| drainage
basin |
the
area drained by a
river or stream
and its
tributaries; it
may be grouped
with other
drainage basins to
form a larger
drainage basin |
| divide |
elevated
land that
separates one
drainage basin
from the other |
| velocity |
a
river’s speed,
faster near the
headwaters and
slowest near the
sea |
| discharge |
the
amount of water
passing a given
point during a
specific time
interval, measured
in cubic feet or
meters per second
drainage basin
from the other |
| gradient |
a
river’s slope;
Mountain streams
have a steep
gradient, while
bayous in
Louisiana have
such a mild
gradient they may
not even appear to
be moving. |
| floodplain |
the
flat area
bordering a river
that is underwater
during major
floods |
| flluvial |
an
adjective
describing the
effects of surface
waters, such as
rivers, on the
land. For example,
a geologist may
determine whether
a region’s
topography (the
appearance of the
land) was formed
by wind erosion or
fluvial forces. |
| alluvial |
This
adjective is more
specific than
fluvial, referring
primarily to
rivers' role in
transporting and
depositing
sediment
(alluvium). |
| alluvium |
sediment
laid down by
rivers (Colluvium
is material that
falls directly
into a river or
stream from its
banks.) |
| dam |
artificial
reservoir created
by blocking a
river |
| levee |
artificial
barrier
constructed to
prevent river
flooding |
| hydro-electricty |
electricity
formed by
harnessing flowing
water |
