Core Theme 1 - River Processes

Question 1

What is a drainage basin?

Answer 1

A drainage basin is the area of land around the river that is drained by the river and its tributaries.

Question 2

What is a water shed?

Answer 2

An area of high land forming the edges of a river basin

Question 3

What is a source?

Answer 3

Where the river starts

Question 4

What is a mouth?

Answer 4

Where the river meets the sea

Question 5

What is a confluence?

Answer 5

The point at which two rivers meet

Question 6

What are tributaries?

Answer 6

When a small river joins a larger river

Question 7

What is a channel

Answer 7

This is the flow of the river

Question 8

What is erosion?

Answer 8

Erosion is the process which wears away the river bed or bank and breaks up the rocks carried by the river

Question 9

What is hydraulic action?

Answer 9

Hydraulic action is the sheer power of water smashing against the river bed or bank. Air becomes trapped in the cracks in the rock of the river bank and bed, and causes the rock to break apart.

Question 10

What is attrition?

Answer 10

Attrition is when rocks hit against each other. The break apart and become more rounded

Question 11

What is abrasion?

Answer 11

Abrasion is when rocks are picked up by the flowing river and smashed against the river bed or bank wearing it away

Question 12

What is solution?

Answer 12

when the water dissolves certain types of rock, eg limestone.

Question 13

What is transportation?

Answer 13

It is when the river picks up sediment and carries it downstream

Question 14

What are the 4 types of transportation?

Answer 14

Solution
Suspension
Saltation
Traction

Question 15

What is deposition?

Answer 15

When the river loses energy, it drops any of the material it has been carrying.

Question 16

What is a long profile?

Answer 16

A long profile shows how the river changes over its course from its source (where it starts) to its mouth (where it meets the sea).

Question 17

What does the term ‘load’ mean?

Answer 17

The particles of rock carried by the river

Question 18

What does it mean by upper course?

What does the river’s load look like and why?

Answer 18

Upper course – this is where the river starts and is usually an upland area. The river’s load is large in the upper course, as it hasn’t been broken down by erosion yet.

Question 19

What does it mean by lower course?

How does the rivers load look like any why?

Answer 19

Lower course – the final course of the river is where the land is a lot flatter. The river’s load is fine sediment, as erosion has broken down the rocks.

Question 20

What is a cross profile?

Answer 20

A cross profile is a view of the valley from one side to another.

Question 21

Where is deposition most likely to occur?

Answer 21

In shallow water

Question 22

What is traction [transportation]?

Where is this most common?

Answer 22

Traction – large, heavy pebbles are rolled along the river bed. This is most common near the source of a river, as here the load is larger.

Question 23

What is saltation[transportation]?

Where is this most common?

Answer 23

Saltation – pebbles are bounced along the river bed, most commonly near the source.

Question 24

What is suspension[transportation]?

Where is this most common?

Answer 24

Suspension – lighter sediment is suspended (carried) within the water, most commonly near the mouth of the river.

Question 25

What is solution[transportation]?

Where is this most common?

Answer 25

Solution – the transport of dissolved chemicals. This varies along the river depending on the presence of soluble rocks.