Geology 110: Earth and Space Science



Geology 110: Earth and Space Science

Chapter 11 (Streams and Floods)

Homework

SELF-REFLECTION AND COMPREHENSION SURVEYS

Checkpoint 11.1, p. 294

#1: Sort the following twelve terms into six pairs of terms that most closely relate to one another.

groundwater, stream, rainfall, gas, plants, ice, precipitation, melt water, transpiration, infiltration, water vapor, run off

Checkpoint 11.2, p. 295 (not required, not extra credit)

#2: Imagine that it rained continuously all over the world for a month. If we were to measure the depth of the oceans over a 5-day period near the end of the month, what would we observe? Explain your choice.

a) Ocean depths rise steadily

b) Ocean depths fall steadily

c) Ocean depths stay the same

Checkpoint 11.3, p. 295

#3: Use the hydrologic cycle to suggest a hypothesis about why rivers in South America carry approximately twice as much freshwater as do rivers in North America.

Checkpoint 11.4, p. 295 (not required, not extra credit)

#4: Draw a concept map that identifies the links among the components of the Earth system and the hydrologic cycle.

Checkpoint 11.5, p. 297

#5: Why is the volume of water in the Mississippi River about 10 times greater than the volume of water in the Nile River?

a) The Mississippi River drainage basin is ten times bigger than the Nile basin.

b) The Mississippi River drainage basin receives more rain.

c) The Mississippi River is a longer stream.

d) There is less vegetation to absorb rainfall in the Mississippi River drainage basin.

Checkpoint 11.6, p. 297 (not required, not extra credit)

#6: Rivers in Iowa flow to either the Mississippi River, which makes up the eastern state border, or the Missouri River on the western state border. Draw the drainage divide for the Missouri and Mississippi basins in Iowa on the map provided here.

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Checkpoint 11.7, p. 297 (required all classes…for notebook, online classes)

#7: Examine the map of rivers in southern Georgia below. Draw on the approximate boundaries of the drainage basins for the named streams. Note that the Savannah and St. Mary Rivers mark parts of the eastern boundary of the state. Do not include the Savannah or St. Mary Rivers’ drainage basins.

Checkpoint 11.8, p. 298

#8: What type of river systems can you observe in this map of part of the Appalachian Mountains and adjacent areas? Explain any differences in patterns that you observe in different parts of the map.

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Checkpoint 11.9, p. 300

#9: Explain why stream velocity would change along the same section of a stream at different times of the year.

Checkpoint 11.10, p. 301 (extra credit, all classes)

#10: Examine the three streams represented in the following drawing. Which stream has the highest hydraulic radius?

a) Stream A b) Stream B c) Stream C

[pic]

Two rivers (this question not related to diagram above) have the same channel roughness, stream gradient, and depth. Stream A is twice as wide as stream B. Which stream has the greater velocity?

a) Stream A b) Stream B c) Neither, the velocity is the same

Checkpoint 11.11, p. 301

#11: Some scientists predict that global warming will result in a corresponding increase in evaporation. How would this impact the discharge of the Amazon River?

a) Discharge would increase b) Discharge would decrease

c) Discharge will stay the same

Checkpoint 11.12, p. 301(not required, not extra credit)

#12: Create a concept map that illustrates the connections among the factors that influence stream flow. Include the following eight terms and up to four more of your own choosing.

Discharge Velocity Wetted Perimeter Depth Gradient

Channel Roughness Cross section area Width

Checkpoint 11.13, p. 304

#13: What statement is most likely true about a pebble found in a stream?

a) It formed from erosion of sedimentary rock in the adjacent streambed or bank.

b) It formed when sand and clay clumped together in the stream.

c) It is younger in age than the stream channel.

d) It may be composed of any type of rock.

Checkpoint 11.14, p. 304

#14: Consider the consequences of constructing a dam on a river with a large stream load, such as the Yellow River. Assume the dam and its reservoir are located about two-thirds of the way down the river. How would stream flow conditions be altered above and below the dam and its reservoir? What would be the implications for erosion, transport, and deposition?

Checkpoint 11.15, p. 308 (extra credit, all classes…for notebook online classes)

#15: Image Analysis: Mississippi River Radar Image

Examine the accompanying image of part of the lower course of the Mississippi River. This picture was taken by the Spaceborne Imaging Radar aboard the Space Shuttle. The long axis of the image is approximately 40 kilometers (67 miles) in length. North is to the top right. This section of the river represents part of the state borders of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Louisiana and Arkansas lie above (west of) the river and Mississippi is below (east of) the river. This region is characterized by rich farmland (purple) where a variety of crops are grown. The green regions bordering the river are undeveloped forested areas. The river is the black band that curves across the image from the top right-hand corner. The river flows north to south.

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1. Interpret the image and discuss the geologic history of this section of the river.

2. Identify where erosion and deposition are occurring along the stream channel and label those locations E (erosion) and D (deposition) on the blank map on the left of the image.

3. Use the blank map to draw an earlier course of the channel.

4. Describe how velocity and depth change between points X and Y on the image, and plot how you expect velocity and depth to vary from X to Y on the graphs provided.

[pic]

Checkpoint 11.16, p. 309 (Not Required, not Extra Credit)

#16: Create a concept map that links together the components of erosion, transportation, and deposition in a stream channel.

Checkpoint 11.17, p. 311

#17: List five factors that influence flooding. Use one sentence to briefly describe the role of each factor in flooding.

Checkpoint 11.18, p. 312

#18: Four stream gauging station locations (A, B, C, D) are shown on the accompanying map. Assuming the bedrock and topography are similar for each stream system, predict which station will record the greatest discharge.

a) Station A b) Station B c) Station C d) Station D

[pic]

Checkpoint 11.19, p. 313 (Required, all classes…not as hard as it looks, example is given on how to calculate RI…graph is done! So only have to interpret graph)

#19: Flood Recurrence Interval: Mississippi River, Keokuk

The following table presents peak flow data for the Mississippi River at Keokuk, Iowa, 1943-1992. This data set ends the year prior to the 1993 Mississippi River flood. We will use these data to estimate the recurrence interval for the 1993 flood event.

1. Complete the table below by calculating the remaining recurrence intervals (RI) for the flood events of 1965, 1969, 1976, and 1972 using the formula RI = (N + 1) / rank where N = number of readings (49) and rank = order of readings (largest = 1; smallest = 49). For example, the RI for 1960 is ([49 + 1] / 3) = 16.7.

Rank Date Discharge (ft3/sec) RI

1 1973 344,000 50

2 1965 327,000

3 1960 289,500 16.7

4 1986 268,000 12.5

5 1951 265,100 10

6 1974 260,000 8.3

7 1979 257,000 7.1

8 1944 256,000 6.2

9 1952 253,800 5.5

10 1969 253,000

11 1975 252,000 4.5

12 1947 245,700 4.2

13 1986 241,000 3.8

14 1948 233,600 3.6

15 1982 225,000 3.3

16 1962 224,100 3.1

17 1983 224,000 2.9

18 1946 223,300 2.8

19 1967 221,200 2.6

20 1976 214,000

25 1972 192,000

30 1954 181,400 1.67

40 1970 140,000 1.25

49 1977 79,800 1.02

2. a. Plot the discharge versus recurrence interval (RI) on the graph grid provided. Draw a straight line through the plotted points with RI values of 2 or more and estimate the size of 100-year and 500-year floods for this gauging station.

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b. What is the estimated discharge for a 100-year flood at this gaging station?

3. Compare the predicted flood discharge (above) against the discharge of the 1993 Great Mississippi flood (446,000 ft3/sec). How frequently do floods of this magnitude occur at this site?

Checkpoint 11.20, p. 314 (extra credit, all classes)

#20: An analysis of flood data in metropolitan areas over the last century suggests that floods caused by similar volumes of precipitation are actually larger and more devastating today than in the past, despite advances in flood monitoring. Provide some potential explanations for this apparent paradox.

Checkpoint 11.21, p. 314 (Not required, Not extra Credit)

#21: List and briefly explain four economic consequences of flooding.

Checkpoint 11.22, p. 317: Flood Control Defining Matrix

#22: Complete the following table by placing check marks in the appropriate columns to identify whether the characteristics listed at the left represent prevention or adjustment measures for flooding. One characteristic has been completed as an example.

|Characteristic |Flood control by . . . |

| |prevention |adjustment |

|Levee is constructed |( | |

|Newspaper publishes flood evacuation route | | |

|New housing developments are elevated on pilings above ground | | |

|Dredging removes sediment from streams | | |

|Flood zone maps are available in local library | | |

|Buildings are relocated outside of flood zone | | |

|Dam is constructed upstream from the community | | |

|Zoning regulations are enacted to prevent new construction in floodplain | | |

Checkpoint 11.23, p. 317: Community Flood Rating System Activities (Required all classes…Notebook for online classes)

#23: The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) developed a community rating system (CRS) to encourage additional community activities that would reduce flood losses. One goal of the program is to reduce the money spent by the NFIP to help cities recover from floods. The CRS evaluates 18 potential community activities that may contribute to better management of the floodplain. For each activity a maximum number of points can be awarded depending on its potential to reduce flooding costs. Points can range from a low of 66 to a high of 3,200. We have listed six of the activities, along with six scores. Predict which activity matches with which score by drawing lines from the activity column to the points’ column. Write justifications for your choices.

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Checkpoint 11.24, p. 318: Flood Risk Rubric(Not Required, Not Extra Credit)

#24: Several states in the Ohio River valley have a history of extensive flooding. Following graduation, you find yourself working for a state legislator who is part of a multi-state task force seeking federal funding for flood protection for communities along a designated river corridor. The corridor stretches along the Ohio River from its source in Pittsburgh to its mouth in southern Illinois. The legislator asks you to be on a team to identify the key factors that contribute to flooding along the Ohio River. She requests that you make a list of factors and develop a scoring scheme that can be applied to rank locations in terms of future flood risk.

1. Your team is charged to create an evaluation rubric to assess the relative risk of danger from future flooding. You must find a method of ranking the risk of potential harm from each flood event. Consider what factors would contribute to the loss of lives and high damage costs associated with flooding.

2. Complete your evaluation rubric by filling in the blanks on the accompanying table. Your rubric will be applied to several cities along the river, and the three that score the highest will receive funds to develop a flood mitigation plan. One factor is provided as an example. Identify at least five more, and determine the low-, intermediate-, and high-risk values for each one.

3. After completing the rubric, your team is asked to double the score of the most important factor. Which do they choose? Why? Explain their choice. Keep in mind that some factors, while important, may not show much change within a region.

Flood Risk Rubric

|Factors |Low Risk |Moderate Risk |High Risk |

| |(1 point) |(2 points) |(3 points) |

|Average annual rainfall |Low |Intermediate |High |

| |Less than 75 cm/year |75-125 cm/year |More than 125 cm/year |

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Streams and Floods Concept Map (not required, not extra credit)

#25: Complete the following concept map to evaluate your understanding of the interactions between the Earth system and streams and floods. Label as many interactions as you can, using the information from this chapter.

A Rainfall over the ocean

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K Transpiration of plants

L

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