11.1 Changes in Rivers and their valleys

Question 1

What is a drainage basin?

Answer 1

➢ An area of land drained by a river and its trubtaires

Question 2

What is a Tributary?

Answer 2

➢ A small stream that joins a larger river

Question 3

What is a confluence?

Answer 3

➢ Where a tributary joins a larger liver

Question 4

What is a watershed?

Answer 4

The edge of a river basin

Question 5

What are the characteristics of a V-shaped valley?

Answer 5

The valley:
➢ Steep-sided and V-shaped
The river:
➢ Narrow, shallow and turbulent

Question 6

What are the characteristics of a flood plain?

Answer 6

The valley:
➢ Wide and has a flat floor
The river:
➢ Wide and deep

Question 7

What are the characteristics of levees?

Answer 7

The valley:
➢ Very wide and flat
The river:
➢ Wide, deep with large sediment load

Question 8

What is a long profile?

Answer 8

➢ Away of displaying the channel slope of a river along its entire course.

Question 9

What type of gradients are there in a long profile of a river?

Answer 9

➢ Upper course - steep gradient
➢ Middle course - gentle gradient
➢ Lower course - very gentle gradient

Question 10

What is a cross profile?

Answer 10

➢ An imaginary slice across a river channel and its valley at a particular point

Question 11

Why does the river channel become wider and deeper in a V-shaped valley?

Answer 11

➢ Due to the river valley becoming wider and flatter