Chapter 8- Rivers Flashcards
What is the source?
Where the river begins
What is the course?
The path of the river from source to mouth
What are tributaries?
Small rivers that join a larger river
What is the watershed?
A line dividing the waters of a river basin from the waters of another river basin
What is a delta?
Land that forms at the mouth of a river due to deposition
What is the mouth?
Where the river enters the sea or lake
What is the basin?
The area drained by the river from source to mouth
What is a confluence?
The pace where a tributary joins the main river
What is an estuary?
The tidal mouth of a river
Transition between river and sea, affected by the tide
What are distributaries?
Smaller rivers that break food from the main river
What is the material transported by a river called?
Load
What are the 4 methods of river erosion?
Hydraulic action
Abrasion
Attrition
Solution
What is hydraulic action?
The force of moving water eroding the bed and the banks
What is abrasion?
The load hitting of the bed and the banks wearing them away
What is attrition?
The load hitting off itself, wearing itself down
What is solution?
Rock minerals dissolve in a river and are carried away
What are the four methods of river transport?
Solution
Suspension
Saltation
Traction
What is suspension?
Light material e.g. Silt is transported in the water
What is saltation?
Small stones are bounced along river bed
What is traction?
Large rocks ate rolled along riverbed
What is deposition?
When a river slows down, it loses energy so it deposits some of its load
What are the 3 stages of a river?
Youthful
Mature
Old-age
What are th characteristics of the youthful stage?
Steep slope
Fast moving
V-shaped valley: steep sides, narrow floor
What are the characteristics of the mature stage?
Slower moving
Wider
Gentle slope
Mature valley: gentle sides, wide floor