Geomorphology Flashcards

1
Q

Abrasion

A

Particles of sand and silt that are carried by the river scratch an wear aqua the bed and sides of the channel

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2
Q

Abstraction

A

Process whereby the watershed becomes lower and its position shifts

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3
Q

Aerated zone

A

Part of crust above the water table where there are open air spaces

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4
Q

Alluvium

A

fertile silt deposited by a river

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5
Q

Attrition

A

Small particles bump against one another and become smaller, rounder and smother

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6
Q

Antecedent drainage pattern

A

After the river formed, folding and faulting occurred, but the river maintained is pattern, cutting a gorge/ poort/ gap through the land that has been uplifted

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7
Q

Baseflow

A

Ground water that seeps into a river

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8
Q

Braided streaks

A

Rivers that have multiple channels and islands of alluvial sediment in between those channels

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9
Q

Captive stream

A

Less energetic river that was captured by the captor river

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10
Q

Captor stream

A

More energetic river that eroded through the watershed and captured another river

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11
Q

Catchment areas

A

The are that feeds water into a river system

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12
Q

Channel flow

A

Water flowing in a river channel

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13
Q

Confluence

A

Point where one river in the network joins another

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14
Q

Corrosion

A

Acids in the water can dissolve the rock particles

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15
Q

Delta

A

Depositions feature that forms when a river enters the sea or a still body of water

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16
Q

Direct runoff

A

Water flowing over earth in river channels

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17
Q

Discharge

A

Amount of water flowing in a river channel past a point in a given time

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18
Q

Drainage basin

A

And area drained by a river and its tributaries

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19
Q

Drainage density

A

The total length of all the streams and rivers in at raise drainage basin (KM) divided by the total area of the drainage basin (KM squared)

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20
Q

Elbow of capture

A

Point where capture occurred; The captive changes direction and flows into the captor

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21
Q

Entrenched or incised meanders

A

A meander that has cut (vertically) deep into the crust

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22
Q

Episodic rivers

A

Rivers that hardly ever flow because they are in low rainfall areas and the water table is always a load of riverbed

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23
Q

Erosion

A

The wearing away and removal of weathered rock material from the river channel

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24
Q

Exotic rivers

A

Rivers found in low rainfall areas but flow all year round because they are fed by tributaries in high rainfall areas

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25
Q

Floodplain

A

Flat valley floor

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26
Q

Gorge

A

Deep-steep sided valley

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27
Q

Graded river

A

A river that has just enough energy to carry it to load; neither erosion nor deposition is taking place resulting in a smooth, concave longitudinal profile

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28
Q

Groundwater

A

Underground water

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29
Q

Groundwater flow

A

Water flowing through underground rocks

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30
Q

Headward erosion

A

A river lengthens itself by cutting back towards it source

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31
Q

Hydraulic action

A

The force of water hitting the side and the bed off the river will break pieces off

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32
Q

Impermeable rock

A

Rock which does not allow water to pass through it

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33
Q

Indirect runoff

A

Water feeding into rivers through base with

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34
Q

Ingrown meanders

A

A meander that cuts sideways into the bank so that there is slight overhang above the stream

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35
Q

Interfluves

A

Ridges of high ground between individual channel

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36
Q

Knickpoint

A

Sharp change in gradients along the course of the river located at the old sea level after isostatic uplift or a drop in sealevel has occurred

37
Q

Knickpoint waterfall

A

A waterfall created by a sharp change in gradient

38
Q

Lag time

A

The period between maximum precipitation and peak discharge

39
Q

Laminar flow

A

Water flowing smoothly in sheets with no vertical mixing

40
Q

Lateral erosion

A

Horizontal erosion (of the sise) of a river channel making it wider

41
Q

Load

A

Broken rock particles and other materials carried by a river

42
Q

Levees

A

Raised banks of the river

43
Q

Longitudinals profile

A

A visual representation of the gradient down which a river flows

44
Q

Meanders

A

Bends in the river channel

45
Q

Meander scars

A

Dried up ox-bow lakes

46
Q

Misfit/beheaded stream

A

part of the river that have lost it head waters

47
Q

Mouth

A

Point at which the river flows into the sea

48
Q

Non-porous rock

A

Rocks that does not have pore spaces, therefore water cannot seep into the rock

49
Q

Over graded rivers

A

Reverse that have Excess energy and therefore erode their channels

50
Q

Oxbow lakes

A

A meander that is cut off when the river takes a new course across the neck off a meander loop

51
Q

Periodic river/ non-perennial

A

Rivers that only flow during the rainy season when the water table is higher

52
Q

Permanent base level

A

Sea level, the lowest level to which a river will erode the land

53
Q

Permanent rivers/ perennial

A

Rivers that flow all year because the river bed is deeper than the water table all year

54
Q

Permeable roadie

A

Rocks that allow water to pass through it

55
Q

Porous

A

A rock which has pore spaces into which water can seep

56
Q

Rapids

A

A resistant layer of rock causes slight changes in gradient and turbulent flow within a river

57
Q

Rejuvenated river

A

A river receives additional energy and begins to erode vertically

58
Q

Riparian zone

A

Area alongside a river

59
Q

River capture

A

A process of one river capturing water from another stream

60
Q

River cliff

A

Steep river bank, due to erosion, in the outside Bend of a meander

61
Q

River network/system

A

A river and all its tributaries that flow into it

62
Q

River terraces

A

Steps that show the level of the valley floor prior to rejuvenation

63
Q

Saltation

A

Smaller rocks and stones are bounced along the river bed

64
Q

Saturated zone

A

Part of the crust where all the air spaces are filled with ground water

65
Q

Sheet flow

A

Water flowing downstream in thin sheets

66
Q

Slip-off-slope

A

Gentle river bank, due to deposition, on the inside bend of a meander

67
Q

Source

A

Place where a river begins

68
Q

Spurs

A

Ridges of high ground between individual channels

69
Q

Strata

A

Rock layers

70
Q

Stream order

A

The category of a stream in a network determined by the order of the streams flowing into it

71
Q

Superimposed drainage pattern

A

A river develops a pattern on a surface that has eroded over time, so now the river is flowing in the older rocks or structures that have been uncovered

72
Q

Surface runoff

A

Rain water flowing over the surface

73
Q

Suspension

A

Silt and very small particles are carried within the flow of the water

74
Q

Temporary base level

A

Changes in the gradient along a course of a river where vertical erosion of the river is slower

75
Q

Throughflow

A

Water is flowing through the soil

76
Q

Traction

A

Boulders and large rocks are pushed and rolled along a river bed

77
Q

Transpiration

A

Water loss from pants through the pores in their leaves

78
Q

Tributaries

A

Individual river channels forming the stream network

79
Q

Turbulent flow

A

Water flowing in a bubbling motion; with lots of vertical movement

80
Q

Undercutting

A

The force of water eroded the base of the banks creating a notch and eventually causing the bank to collapse

81
Q

Under-graded rivers

A

Rivers that do not have enough energy to flow and to transport their load; they will deposit some of their load

82
Q

Valley within a valley

A

Rejuvenated river begins to erode a new valley within the old one

83
Q

Velocity

A

Speed of river

84
Q

Vertical erosion

A

Erosion downwards, cutting deeper into the landscape

85
Q

Waterfalls

A

A place where water flows over a vertical drop in the course of a river

86
Q

Watershed

A

High ground separating one drainage basin from the adjacent drainage basin

87
Q

Water table

A

The upper surface of the groundwater

88
Q

Wind tap

A

The part of the original river valley, between the elbow and misfit, now dry and filled with deposited gravel