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Geography > Geomorphology - Rivers > Flashcards

Geomorphology - Rivers Flashcards

1
Q

Abrasion

A

Particles of sand and silt that are carried by the river scratch and wear away 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 the 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 smoother.

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6
Q

Antecedent drainage pattern

A

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

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7
Q

Baseflow

A

Groundwater that seeps into a river.

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8
Q

Braided streams

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.

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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 area

A

The area 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

Depositional 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

An 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 a drainage basin (km) divided by the total area of the drainage basin (km2).

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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 below the river bed.

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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 because they are fed by tributaries in high rainfall areas.

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25
Q

Flood plain

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 its 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

Ground water flow

A

Water flowing through underground rocks.

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30
Q

Headward erosion

A

A river lengthens itself by cutting back towards its source.

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31
Q

Hydraulic action

A

The force of water hitting the sides and the bed of 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 baseflow.

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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 channels.

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36
Q

Knickpoint

A

Sharp change in gradient along the course of the river located at the old sea level after isostatic uplift or a drop in sea level 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 sides) 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 a river.

43
Q

Lonitudinal profile

A

A visual representation of the gradient down which a river flows.

44
Q

Meanders

A

Bends in a river channel.

45
Q

Meander scars

A

Dried up ox-bow lakes.

46
Q

Misfit / beheaded stream

A

Part of the river that has lost its headwaters.

47
Q

Mouth

A

Point at which the river flows into the sea.

48
Q

Non-porous rock

A

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

49
Q

Overgraded rivers

A

Rivers 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 of a meander loop.

51
Q

Periodic rivers/ non-perennial

A

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

52
Q

Permanent base level / ultimate 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 rocks

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 with in 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 the water from another stream.

60
Q

River cliff

A

Steep river bank, due to erosion, on the outside bend of a meander.

61
Q

River network / system

A

A river and all its the 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 air spaces are filled with groundwater.

65
Q

Sheet flow

A

Water flowing downslope 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 on the older rocks or structures that have been uncovered.

72
Q

Surface runoff

A

Rainwater 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 slowed.

75
Q

Throughflow

A

Water 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 plants through 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 erodes the base of the banks creating a notch and eventually causing the bank to collapse.

81
Q

Undergraded 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 a 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 gap

A

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

Geography (5 decks)

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