Geography Vocab 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
