Isostatic rebound refers to the uplift of land following the removal of a heavy mass like a glacier, which can alter river and stream slopes by changing the land gradient.
Isostatic rebound is the uplift of land that occurs after the weight of an overlying mass, such as a glacier, has been removed. This process can change the slope of rivers and streams because as the land rises, the gradient of the riverbed alters, potentially increasing the rate of erosion downstream and modifying the flow patterns of the watercourses. Subsidence is the opposite effect, where land sinks due to various reasons such as soil compaction or the extraction of underground resources.
Events like glacial retreat are primary causes of isostatic rebound. As the pressure from the ice diminishes, the land begins to rise back to its original position before the weight of the ice compressed it. Over time, this can significantly alter the topography of an area, with considerable consequences on local and even regional hydrology.
So, isostatic rebound is an important geological process that can affect the flow and configuration of rivers and streams, among other landscape features. It is a response to changes in the distribution of mass on the Earth's surface and is integral to our understanding of how landscapes evolve over time.