What is a second order stream in geography?
Geography what is a second Order Stream. Earth Science. A second order stream forms part of the classification of stream order relating to drainage basins. The area which drains water into a river’s mouth or estuary is known as a drainage basin. Stream order relates to the pattern made by streams and rivers within a drainage basin.
What is stream ordering?
Stream ordering is a method of assigning a numeric order to links in a stream network. This order is a method for identifying and classifying types of streams based on their numbers of tributaries. Some characteristics of streams can be inferred by simply knowing their order.
What happens when two 2nd order streams merge?
If two second-order streams merge, they will automatically become a third-order stream because the number of first and second order streams is equal. Stream order = number of first-order tributaries + 1. This means that a stream’s stream order will increase or decrease as first-order tributaries are added or subtracted from a stream.
What are first through third order streams?
First through third order streams are also called headwater streams and constitute any waterways in the upper reaches of the watershed. It is estimated that over 80% of the world’s waterways are these first through third order or headwater streams.
What does second order stream mean?
Noun. second order stream (plural second order streams) a stream formed by the confluence of two first order streams, or of a first order stream and a second order stream.
What are third order streams?
Noun. third order stream (plural third order streams) A stream formed by the confluence of two second order streams, or of a second order stream and a third order stream.
How do you get a second order stream?
When two streams with different orders join, the resulting stream has the same order as the highest order of the two joining streams. For example, when a first and second order stream join, the resulting stream is second order.
What are the 3 types of streams?
One method of classifying streams is through physical, hydrological, and biological characteristics. Using these features, streams can fall into one of three types: perennial, intermittent, and ephemeral.
What is a 4th order stream?
Fourth-order streams are large. The uppermost channels with no tributaries are designated first-order streams. A second-order stream is formed when two first-order streams meet. Third-order streams are created when two second-order streams join, and so on.
What is a 6th order stream?
Streams classified as fourth- through sixth-order are considered medium streams. A stream that is seventh-order or larger constitutes a river.
What is a first and second order stream?
Stream Ordering The uppermost channels in a drainage network (i.e., headwater channels with no upstream tributaries) are designated as first-order streams down to their first confluence. A second-order stream is formed below the confluence of two first-order channels.
Is a stream the same as a creek?
Flowing water finds its way downhill initially as small creeks. As small creeks flow downhill they merge to form larger streams and rivers.
Are fish more important in high or low order streams?
Numerous studies have found that fish species richness generally increases with stream order (Sheldon 1968, Platts 1979, Schlosser 1982a, Paller 1994, Fairchild et al. 1998) up to fourth or fifth order streams with a subsequent decline in stream orders of six or more (Platts 1979, Fairchild et al. 1998).
What are the four types of streams?
The four types of stream channel patterns include straight, meandering, braided, and sinuous (or curved). The velocity the water flow is moving at controls the shape and pattern of the stream, causing it to create crevices, caves, and formations as it moves along its path.
What are the two types of stream?
There are two basic types of stream defined by Java, called byte stream and character stream.
What are the stages of streams?
Terms in this set (12)3 Stages of a stream. youthful, maturity, old age.Youthful Stage. steep slope. ... Maturity Stage. gentle slope. ... Old Age. very gentle slope. ... meanders. streams that move side to side to form bends.down cutting. Erosion that takes place at the bottom of an erosional system.side cutting. ... base level.More items...
What are the three stream processes?
Stream processes entail the erosion, transportation, and deposition of earth materials from the floor and bed of a stream's channel by channelized water. b. Means of erosion: i.
What does the order of a stream mean?
Stream order is a measure of the relative size of streams. The smallest tributaries are referred to as first-order streams, while the largest river in the world, the Amazon, is a twelfth-order waterway. First- through third-order streams are usually called headwater streams.
What are the four types of streams?
The four types of stream channel patterns include straight, meandering, braided, and sinuous (or curved). The velocity the water flow is moving at controls the shape and pattern of the stream, causing it to create crevices, caves, and formations as it moves along its path.
What are the stages of streams?
Terms in this set (12)3 Stages of a stream. youthful, maturity, old age.Youthful Stage. steep slope. ... Maturity Stage. gentle slope. ... Old Age. very gentle slope. ... meanders. streams that move side to side to form bends.down cutting. Erosion that takes place at the bottom of an erosional system.side cutting. ... base level.More items...
What is stream order?
Stream order also helps people like biogeographers and biologists in determining what types of life might be present in the waterway. This is the idea behind the River Continuum Concept, a model used to determine the number and types of organisms present in a stream of a given size. More types of plants, for example, can live in sediment-filled, ...
What happens when two streams of different order join?
If, however, two streams of different order join neither increases in order. For example, if a second-order stream joins a third-order stream, the second-order stream simply ends by flowing its contents into the third-order stream, which then maintains its place in the hierarchy.
What is the first through third order of a stream?
First- through third-order streams are also called headwater streams and constitute any waterways in the upper reaches of the watershed. Over 80% of the world’s waterways are estimated to be these first- through third-order or headwater streams. Going up in size and strength, streams that are classified as fourth- through sixth-order are medium ...
What are large waterways called?
Large waterways (at the highest level the stream order) are called rivers and exist as a combination of many tributary streams. Streams can also have local names such as bayou or burn.
What is the smallest stream in the world?
A first-order stream is the smallest of the world's streams and consists of small tributaries. These are the streams that flow into and "feed" larger streams but do not normally have any water flowing into them. Also, first- and second-order streams generally form on steep slopes and flow quickly until they slow down and meet ...
Why is stream order important in geography?
Because this area is so important, geographers, geologists, and hydrologists alike use stream order to study and measure the size of the world's waterways. A stream is classified as a body ...
When was stream order developed?
More recently, stream order has also been used in geographic information systems (GIS) to map river networks. The algorithm, developed in 2004, uses vectors (lines) to represent the various streams and connects them using nodes (the place on the map where the two vectors meet.)
What is stream order?
Stream ordering is a method of assigning a numeric order to links in a stream network. This order is a method for identifying and classifying types of streams based on their numbers of tributaries. Some characteristics of streams can be inferred by simply knowing their order. For example, first-order streams are dominated by overland flow of water;
Which method is the most common stream ordering method?
The Strahler method is the most common stream ordering method. However, because this method only increases in order at intersections of the same order, it does not account for all links and can be sensitive to the addition or removal of links.
Who proposed stream order?
The Stream Order tool has two methods you can use to assign orders. These are the methods proposed by Strahler (1957) and Shreve (1966).
What is the difference between first and second order streams?
First and second order streams are typically higher gradient streams. First order streams from headlands usually flow rather straight, directly down the slope with little meandering, as a series small pools and cascades. As slope decreases, and the stream widens with additional tributary flows, third order streams will have more ...
What is the order of streams?
The concept of stream order assigns numerical designations that indicate where in a watershed drainage system a certain stream segment lies. The smallest flows from upland areas, as well as springs and seep sources that maintain defined stream beds throughout the year are first-order streams. Where two first-order streams combine, a second-order stream is designated; and two second-order streams join creating a third-order stream. The hypothetical stream system at left has been labeled to indicate the stream order of the various segments. As a 'real world' example, consider Bobs Creek which, upstream of the State Route 869 bridge near Pavia, is a 3rd order stream and downstream is a 4th order stream because Wallacks Branch, a third-order stream, joins the flow immediately downstream of the bridge. At Reynoldsdale, Bobs Creek joins Dunning Creek, itself a 4th order stream at this point, to create a 5th order stream from there downstream. Typically, 3rd and 4th order streams comprise the majority of our quality trout streams.
What is a stream?
Streams are continuous gradients where downstream processes are linked to upstream events, producing a predictable change in the assemblage of organisms along the stream sysytem. The River Continuum Concept, developed by Dr. Robin Vannote and others at Stroud Water Research Center in the 1980s, is a model for describing and understanding characteristics of a watercourse as it flows from the headwaters to the mouth. Streams are open dynamics systems, interacting with the land, through changing influences of soil chemistry, vegetative cover, and topography. Changes in stream slope effect stream depth and width, water velocity, and streambed composition. Soil chemistry has significant effects on the chemical composition of small headwater streams due to the greater proportion of the flow being in contact with the stream banks and bottom in these smaller waters. The amount and type of vegetation along the stream, as well as throughout the riparian zone, influences water temperature, soil stability, and community of aquatic plants and animals. The River Continuum Concept is a useful tool in environmental assessments of stream corridors but has limitations when applying to certain stream types, especially those away from the eastern woodland streams where it was developed. For example , many western streams begin as headwaters in rather barren, mountainous terrain devoid of the leafy and woody energy input typical of our eastern waters. Such headwaters are naturally low in mineral and nutrient content and will have low diversity and density of aquatic organisms.
How does soil affect the chemical composition of headwater streams?
Soil chemistry has significant effects on the chemical composition of small headwater streams due to the greater proportion of the flow being in contact with the stream banks and bottom in these smaller waters.
What is the hypothetical stream system at left?
The hypothetical stream system at left has been labeled to indicate the stream order of the various segments. As a 'real world' example, consider Bobs Creek which, upstream of the State Route 869 bridge near Pavia, is a 3rd order stream and downstream is a 4th order stream because Wallacks Branch, a third-order stream, ...
What are headwaters in a stream?
Headwaters are streams of first, second, and third order and in natural condition are usually narrow with thick vegetation along the banks. Heavy shading reduces the photosynthetic potential for aquatic plants and most organic material enters the stream as fallen leaves, twigs, or branches. Aquatic macroinvertebrates that process this organic material by breaking it into smaller bits for consumption are known as shredders and include many mayfly and stonefly species. Collector type organisms that utilize coarse particulate organic material may also be well-represented. These streams are often home to the coldwater fish species such as sculpins, black-nose dace, longnose dace, and brook trout. (Click here for a chart of stream organism feeding group descriptions.)
How do streams interact with the land?
Streams are open dynamics systems, interacting with the land, through changing influences of soil chemistry, vegetative cover, and topography. Changes in stream slope effect stream depth and width, water velocity, and streambed composition. Soil chemistry has significant effects on the chemical composition of small headwater streams due to ...