A 3 Course River Flashcards
Name the 7 features of the middle course
Wider valley Smoother banks Meanders Fertile soils Farmland Higher discharge- more water flow Flatter gradient
Name the7 features of a Lower course
Much wider Highest discharge Urbanised - industry and settlement Very shallow gradient Used my people Most useful but most dangerous High risk of flooding
Name the six features of the upper course
River channel is narrow V shaped valleys Low discharge Rough banks and bed Steep gradient - little human activity Waterfalls
Landforms in the upper course - how is a v shaped formed?
- River erodes downwards, stones and rock particles are bounced and scraped along the bed
- The steep sides are attacked by weathering, breaking up and loosening soils
- Loosened material goes down the slope due to gravity or being washed into the river. The river carries it away
- The end result is a steep sided valley- v shaped valley
How is a waterfall formed?
Hard rock overlies the soft rock, they erode at different rates. Hydraulic action and abrasion cause the soft rock to erode faster than the hard and be washed away. This leaves and overhang of hard rock which cannot support itself and falls. Process repeats
What is a gorge of recession?
This is where the gorge retreats further back due to waterfall formation
Landforms in the middle course- what is a meander?
A meander is a bend or curve in the river channel
How is an oxbow lake formed?
It’s formed when the river cuts of a meander due to it becoming quite thin and then an oxbow lake is formed
Why do rivers deposit their load?
They deposit their load when they reach maximum capacity
Landforms in the lower course - how are floodplains formed?
A floodplain is formed when a river reaches bank full conditions and floods, it leaves silt behind which builds up and reveals where the floodplain should be
How are levees formed?
Levees are formed when the largest rocks are deposited first once the river has flooded. The largest material builds up over multiple floods and forms levees
What are estuaries?
It is an area where one or more rivers or streams are flowing into it and it has connection to the open sea - coastal
What is a delta?
A delta is a flat area of sand and Sikh where a river deposits its load when it reaches a certain velocity. If the area is sheltered the load builds up and forms a delta
