Estuaries

Question 1

What is an estuary?

Answer 1

Where the river meets the sea at the mouth of the rivers

Question 2

How do estuaries deposit materials?

Answer 2

1. The water floods over the banks of the river carrying the silt and sand onto the valley floor. As the tide reaches its highest point, the water is moving very slowly so sediment can be deposited.
2. Overtime, more and more mud builds up, creating large areas of mudflats, at low tide the wide, muddy banks are exposed.

Question 3

Case study

Answer 3

River Tees:
Located in the North of England. The source of a river tees is located in the Pennines and it flowed east to its mouth where the river joins the North Sea.
Upper course: High Force - waterfalls 21 m high. hard rock =whinestone soft rock = sandstone and shale
Middle course - Bernard castle
Lowe course : near Yarm and large estuaries which support wildlife - seal sands