Which term describes the adjustments made by streams in response to changes in base level?

The term that describes the adjustments made by streams in response to changes in base level is best captured by the concept of Base Level Adjustment. Base level refers to the lowest point to which a stream can erode its bed, which is typically the level at which the stream enters another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. When there are changes in this base level—either due to rising land or falling sea levels—the stream must adjust its profile to maintain equilibrium.

These adjustments manifest in various ways, such as changes in the stream's slope, the development of new channels, or alterations in sediment transport. This dynamic process allows the stream to achieve a new state of balance in terms of erosion and deposition, responding directly to the shifts in energy and gravitational forces associated with the altered base level.

This concept is vital in understanding how landscapes evolve over time and the interactions between geological processes and hydrological systems, highlighting the importance of base level in influencing stream behavior.