Fieldwork

Question 1

Enquiry question

Answer 1

Does flood risk along the river wear increase as you go downstream

Question 2

Why is bedburn beck a suitable location

Answer 2

Easily accessible - could travel to and from the study location within a school day

The was was shallow enough to investigate safely

Question 3

Each of the sites were appropriate because

Answer 3

They were accessible by minibus - car parks close by

Sites were far apart enough to show changes in channel and drainage basin characteristics

Question 4

Limitations of chosen site

Answer 4

Only investigates sites in the upper course of a tributary of the river wear

Means that we could not look at flood risk downstream in urban areas such as Durham and Sunderland

Question 5

What is Primary data

Answer 5

Information date that you collect yourself eg photographs

Question 6

Examples of primary date

Answer 6

Field sketch

Depth

Sediment survey

Gradient

Question 7

What is secondary date

Answer 7

Info that someone else has previously collected made available eg on the internet

Question 8

What secondary data could use as to support our investigation on river characteristics and flood risk

Answer 8

Land use map

Geology map

OS map

Question 9

Human and physical reasons why there’s a higher flood risk in some parts of the wear

Answer 9

Areas such as old Durham have a higher flood risk because of impermeable and permeable rocks. Steeper relief encourages run off (physical)

urbanisation (human) -

River Discharge increase (physical)

Question 10

2 types of errors that can occur when collecting primary data

Answer 10

Measurement errors - mistakes made by using equipment incorrectly

Operator error - caused by person collecting date

Question 11

What is accuracy

Answer 11

How precise the data is

Question 12

What is the reliability

Answer 12

If you were to repeat the method how likely it is to record the same results

Question 13

General condition of fieldwork visit

Answer 13

22nd June hot dry day that was warmer than average

Question 14

Method of measuring width

Answer 14

Stretched a tape measure from one can’t to another holding it taught above the surface of the water

Question 15

Explanation of width

Answer 15

Measured to calculate discharge the wider the river the greater the discharge

Where discharge is high flooding is likely

Question 16

Evaluation of width

Answer 16

Sometimes the tape measure sagged in the middle reducing the accuracy of data

Question 17

Method for depth

Answer 17

Different meter sticks to measure the depth at 10 different points. Divided the width by 10 to use a systematic sample

Question 18

Explanation of depth

Answer 18

Measured to calculate discharge the deeper the river the greater the discharge. Where discharge is high flooding is likely

Question 19

Evaluation of depth

Answer 19

The meter stick sank into the soft mud in the river bed reducing the accuracy of the depth data

Question 20

Method of velocity

Answer 20

We used the float method to measure the speed of the river. Placed 2 ranging poles 2 metres apart and timed the ball

Question 21

Explanation of velocity

Answer 21

Measured to calculate discharge the faster the river the greater the discharge

Where discharge is high flooding is likely

Question 22

Evaluation of discharge

Answer 22

We did 3 velocity reading at each site and calculated an average . This improved the accuracy of the data

Sometimes the balls got stuck on the banks a float meter would’ve been more accurate

Question 23

Method of gradient

Answer 23

Measured the distance of 2m using a tape measure and marked it using 2 ranging poles. We used a clinometer to measure the gradient in degrees

Question 24

Explanation gradient

Answer 24

The steeper the gradient of the drainage basin the less infiltration there is and the quicker rainwater gets into the river increasing flood risk

Question 25

Evaluation gradient

Answer 25

We had never used a clinometere before so many have used it incorrectly

Sometimes the ranging poles were tilted instead of vertical

Factors that reduce accuracy

Question 26

Sediment survey method

Answer 26

We selected one rock next to each depth reading and measured its longest edges (y axis) we then used powers scale of roundness to categorise the rocks into class 1-6

Question 27

Explanation of sediment survey

Answer 27

The smaller and rounder the sediment the more erosion is taking place where there is a lot of erosion the river has more energy and therefore is more likely to flood

Question 28

Evaluation of sediment survey

Answer 28

There were operator errors (subjective) because people were more likely to pick up larger rocks and gbere was some disagreement about powers class which reduces accuracy

Question 29

Drainage basin characteristics method

Answer 29

Observed the river from each site and drew its main features . We added annotations to describe the environment

Question 30

Drainage basin characteristic explanation

Answer 30

Land use shows the value of land the higher value land the greater risk if it is flooded. The vegetation cover shows how much interception will take place more vegetation reduces the risk of flooding

Question 31

Drainage basin characteristics evaluation

Answer 31

A sketch allows you to focus on specific features that are relevant to your study

They also provide a visual reminder when analysing results

Question 32

Flood risk map source and and info obtained

Answer 32

Environment agency and OS

Shows that flood risk increases from low/medium to high as you go further downstream

Urban areas are most likely to flood because of tarmac

Question 33

How do channel characteristics influence flood risk of the river wear - how does discharge influence flood risk

Answer 33

Discharge increases down stream and the channel becomes wider and deeper

This increases flood risk because the larger the volume of water the more likely it is to flood

Question 34

How does sediment size influence flood risk

Answer 34

Sediment size decreases downstream this tells us attrition is taking place

This means there is less friction in the channel so the river can flow more quickly

Question 35

How does drainage basin characteristics influence flood risk over the river wear - does geology influence flood risk

Answer 35

Most of the best rock in the west basin is sandstone, mudstone and coal . These rocks are permeable and allow water to perculate

This reduced surface run off flood risk

Question 36

How does gradient influence flood risk

Answer 36

Gradient decreased downstream this reduces flood risk because of infiltration and perculation take place faster on gentle slope

Where slopes are steeper more surface run off happens

Question 37

Land use at rivers

Answer 37

Upstream is rural - permeable vegetation with coniferous forests that intercept rainwater

Downstream - urban - higher flood risk because of drains and concrete eg Durham