Channel types

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/channel-types

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the primary classification factor?Flow gradient (steepness of the channel bed)
2. What is the low gradient threshold?Less than 2% flow gradient
3. What is a low gradient channel?A low gradient channel has a slope of less than 2%. The water moves slowly, deposits fine sand and silt, and makes wide floodplains.
4. What is a high gradient channel?A high gradient channel has a slope greater than 2%. The water moves fast, erodes the bed, and carries big gravel and boulders.

Flow gradient: The measure of the vertical drop of a river or stream bed over a horizontal distance, indicating steepness.
Limnology: The scientific study of the biological, chemical, and physical characteristics of inland waters.
Fluvial geomorphology: The study of landforms created by rivers and streams, including their formation and evolution.
Sediment transport: The movement of solid particles, such as sand, silt, and gravel, by flowing water.