Geography Revision Flashcards
evaporation
HINT: water vapour
the sun warms the oceans, lakes and seas and turns water into water vapour.
rivers
HINT: cycle continues
The water is carried back to the ocean and the cycle continues.
(evapo) transpiration
HINT: plants and trees breathe out
plants & trees also breathe out water vapour, through tiny holes in their leaves
infiltration
HINT: into
some water soaks downwards into the ground
surface runoff
HINT: over
some water will flow over the ground
condensation
HINT: forming clouds
as the air rises, it gets colder. the water vapour is turned into tiny water droplets, forming clouds
precipitation
HINT: the water droplets eventually fall
the water droplets eventually fall as rain, sleet, snow or hail
throughflow
HINT: flow through
some water will flow through the soil
groundwater flow
HINT: flow through the rock
some water will flow slowly through the rock deep underground
clouds blown inland
HINT: get larger and larger
as the clouds move inland, the water droplets inside them get larger and larger
interception
HINT: leaves and branches catch
leaves and branches catch some of the water before it reaches the ground
lake/snow cap/ sea
HINT: stores of water
these are stores of water
watershed
HINT: forming a river basin
the area of high land forming the edge of a river basin
source
HINT: beginning of a river
where a river begins
mouth
HINT: river meets sea
where the river meets the sea
confluence
HINT: two rivers meet
the point at which two rivers meet
tributary
HINT: small river joins a larger river
a small river or stream that joins a larger river
main river channel
HINT: the main river
the large, main river with most of the water
drainage basin
HINT: drained by river system
the area of land drained by a river system (a river and its tributaries)
hydrological cycle
HINT: process of water transferred
the water or hydrological cycle is the process by which water is continuously transferred between the surface of the Earth and atmosphere
drainage basin
HINT: area of drained land
a drainage or river basin is an area of land drained by a river and its tributaries
watershed
HINT: forming the edge
the area of high land forming the edge of a river basin
attrition
HINT: chipping bits off
rocks and stones in the river bang against each other, chipping bits off so the rocks become rounder and smaller
abrasion
HINT: water hits sides
the material being carried by the river hits the sides and bed of the channel, each impact breaking pieces off the bed and banks
hydraulic action
HINT: pushes into cracks
the force of the water pushes into cracks in the rock at the bed and banks, breaking bits off
corrosion
HINT: chalk and limestone
rocks such as chalk and limestone are dissolved in the river water and carried away as dissolved material
river velocity
HINT: speed
the speed of the river
deposition
HINT: drops load
when a river drops its load because it does not have enough energy
suspension
HINT: particles of material
the water carries along fine, light particles of material
traction
HINT: rocks are rolled
boulders and large rocks are slowly rolled along the bed of the river
solution
HINT: dissolved material
the dissolved material is transported
saltation
HINT: rocks are bounced
small pebbles and stones are bounced along the river bed
flood definition
HINT: river overspills
a river overspills its river channel and water covers land that is usually dry. often floods the floodplain
Which countries make up the British Isles?
England, Wales, Scotland, Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland
Which countries make up Great Britain?
England, Wales, Scotland
Which countries make up the United Kingdom?
England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland
What is the capital of England?
London
What is the capital of Wales?
Cardiff
What is the capital of Scotland?
Edinburgh
What is the capital of the Republic of Ireland?
Dublin
What is the capital of Northern Ireland?
Belfast
How do rivers change from source to mouth?
HINT: changes in width, depth and flow speed
Rivers transform significantly from their source to their mouth, with changes in width, depth, flow speed, and the nature of the sediment they carry. The river’s source is typically narrow, shallow, and steep, while the mouth is wider, deeper, and flows more gently. As the river flows downstream, it gains water from tributaries, increases in width and depth, and the sediment it carries becomes smaller and more rounded.
How do rivers shape the land?
HINT: river landforms
Erosion, transportation and deposition occur in all rivers. Each process has a role to play in the formation of different river landforms.
How do waterfalls form?
HINT: hard rock, soft rock
There is a layer of hard rock on top of the soft rock, and the soft rock erodes over time whilst the hard rock doesn’t, and this forms a drop and a plunge pool. The hard rock stays in place while the soft rock erodes, forming an overhang, and over time the plunge pool becomes larger and deeper. Eventually, the hard rock will collapse, forming a much more vertical drop. Hydraulic action and abrasion occur. As the hard rock continues to erode, the waterfall retreats upstream and a gorge forms. The plunge pool continues getting larger. Hydraulic action and abrasion are still happening.
How do meanders form?
HINT: bends in a river
Meanders are bends in the course of a river. On the outside of a meander the water is deeper and the current flows faster. The force of the water undercuts the bank of the outside bend, forming a steep bank. This is called a river cliff. On the inside bend the river deposits sand and pebbles, forming a gentle slip-off slope. Meanders slowly move across a landscape, as the erosion bank cuts into the valley
How do oxbow lakes form?
HINT: rivers take the shortest course
Erosion makes the necks of a meander narrow, because that’s where the most energy is and the water is faster. During floods rivers take the shortest course through the neck, because there is more water that needs to move. A new straighter river course is formed, and so is a cut off/ abandoned oxbow lake. Deposition at the edge of the river channel will facilitate the oxbow lake forming. Eventually, the river might erode again.
How do deltas form?
HINT: process of deposition
A delta is a landform found in the lower course of a river. Deltas form at the mouth of a river - they are created by the process of deposition. As a river empties into the sea, ocean or lake, the velocity falls and the river drops the material it has been carrying. As this builds up, new land is formed - this is the delta.
causes of flooding
HINT: meltwater
1) when the weather is hot and the ground becomes dry, rainfall won’t be able to infiltrate the ground, increasing run-off.
2) rise in temperature after a period of snow/ice causing meltwater
3) removal of vegetation in the drainage basin reduces the amount of interception by trees
impacts of flooding
HINT: alternative homes
people need to find alternative homes, contaminated water, people’s mental health affected, houses are not popular to buy, expensive to fix the damage
examples of big floods
the York Flood of 2015 (Foss and Ouse rivers), the 2014 Somerset floods
What are the seven continents?
Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, Oceania
What are the five oceans?
the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern, and Arctic Oceans
