The differences of the shapes of a stream and a river?

Answer 1

What about them?

Answer 2

The large scale shape of a stream is controlled mainly by topography. Topography is controlled by erosion both by the streams themselves, and by the structure of the underlying rock strata (faults and folds, mainly). The smaller scale shape is controlled mainly by slope, amount of water in the stream, and the 'maturity' of the stream.

Mountain streams tend to be relatively straight because slopes are quite steep. When the slope flattens the stream tends to become 'braided', in which there is periodic flooding with a lot of water followed by periods of low flow rates. Streams that are in really low slope areas meander widely, causing sharp bends in the river. Where the meanders become very sharp the curves of the meander may meet and create an 'Oxbow Lake' which is cut off from the river.

Mountain streams are said to be immature because there is no flood plain, just a 'gash' in which the stream flows. Braided streams are adolescent; there may be some flood plain, but it is limited, and most of the meandering of the stream is in the streambed itself. The mature streams are those with wide flood plains, natural levees, and so on. In old age streams the flood plain may be very wide.

Answer 3

Are you asking what they are?

Streams are the tributaries joined to the main river. Imagine a tree, the river is the trunk and the streams are the branches. they can be joined direct to the trunk or simply to another stream which is joined to the trunk