general Flashcards
what is a watershed ?
the borders between two drainage basins
what is the source ?
the beginning of the river
what is a tributary ?
a small river that flows into a larger river
what is a confluence ?
where two rivers meet
what is the mouth ?
the end of the river which usually ends in the sea
what happens in flows ?
- overland flows transfer water through the basin either as sheet wash, across the surface or in tiny channels called rills
- beneath the surface water is transferred via throughflow
- which is the movement of water through the lower soil towards rivers and groundwater flows
what is a v-shaped valley ?
a valley which resembles a V in cross section these valleys have steep sloping sides and narrow bottoms
how is a v-shaped valley formed ?
- river erodes downwards as boulder stones and rock particles are bounced and scraped along the channel bed
- as the river cuts down the steep sides are attacked by weathering which breaks up and loosen the soil and rock
- the loosened material slowly creeps down the slope or is washed into the river by rainwater and carried away by the river
- the end result is a steep sided valley that has the shape of a letter V
what were the effects of people and the environment of flooding in Somerset 2014 ?
- January and February of 2014
- persistent heavy rainfall caused the flooding
- caused disruption to transport
- flood waters took 12 weeks to reduce
- 1000 hectares of farmland was underwater
- 6 farms and their animals were evacuated
- homes were destroyed
- locals had to evacuate
what were the effects of people and the environment of flooding in Boscastle 2004 ?
- 16th Augusts 2004
- months worth of rainfall fell on one day
- 100 homes and businesses were destroyed the Wellington Hotel’s lower floor was unrecognisable
- 75 cars washed into the sea
- tourist industry was significantly affected
- left many locals struggling
what were the effects of people and the environment of flooding in Tewkesbury 2007 ?
- July 2007
- heavy rainfall causes river Severn and Avon to flood
- 48,000 homes affected
- repair costs of each home between £20,000 - £30,000
- local councils flood cost £140,00
- British economy costed £3.2 billion
- left schools and businesses closed
what were the effects of people and the environment of flooding in North Wales 2012 ?
- persistent rainfall from April to November
- between 21-24 November a series of low pressure systems crossed the UK bringing strong winds and intense rain that fell on saturated ground
- causing
what were the effects of people and the environment of flooding in North Wales 2012 ?
- persistent rainfall from April to November
- between 21-24 November a series of low pressure systems crossed the UK bringing strong winds and intense rain that fell on saturated ground causing surface runoff and flooding
- England and Wales’ third wettest year
- killed 9 people
- flooded 8000 homes
- ruined crops worth £600 million
what is a hydrograph ?
- shows two graphs
- bar chart showing rainfall usually in storm
- line graph showing discharge before during and after rain storm
what is a rising limb ?
The rising limb of the hydrograph represents the rapid increase in resulting from rainfall causing surface runoff and then later throughflow
