Reading Guide
for September 1

from Cvancara, Field Manual for the Amateur Geologist

Chapter 2. Stream-Related Landforms

The introduction explains how streams both erode and deposit material, making them both destructive and constructive geologic agents.

pp. 10–12. Narrow Valleys. Find the conditions under which narrow valleys are typically found. Be able to identify the characteristic features of narrow valleys, and explain how they are formed by stream action.

pp. 12–16. Broad Valleys. Although these are not topographically dramatic, they have a rich variety of features.

The second and third paragraphs on page 12 in this section discuss features of the stream channel. Be able to describe and explain the formation of the items whose names appear in boldface in these paragraphs.

The beginning of the last paragraph on page 12 through the first full paragraph of page 14 describe features of floodplains. Again, understand the shapes of these features and how they are formed.

The remainder of page 14 describes additional features of floodplains, including some features that indicate that the character of the stream has changed over time.

The last part of this section describes features resulting from abrupt leveling of a stream’s gradient and consequent slowing of its velocity. Again, explain their shapes and how they are created.

pp. 16–19. Landscape Change by Stream Erosion. This section describes how stream erosion modifies landscapes in wet and dry environments. Follow the description of how the landscapes evolve, and how they appear at the different stages. Do any of these descriptions match terrain that is familiar to you?

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