Key Words Flashcards

1
Q

tributary

A

a smaller river or stream flowing into a larger river

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2
Q

v-shaped valley

A

a valley with steep sides and a narrow bottom that has been formed by erosion

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3
Q

erosion

A

the wearing away of rock by natural processes of rivers, ice, wind and sea

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4
Q

transport

A

the movement of eroded material by natural processes such as wind, rivers and sea

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5
Q

traction

A

big boulders and stones are rolled and dragged along the river bed

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6
Q

saltation

A

stones and pebbles bounce along the river bed

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7
Q

suspension

A

pebbles and smaller stones (e.g sand) are carried by a river

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8
Q

solution

A

some material is dissolved into the river water and transported this way

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9
Q

load

A

the amount of material carried by a river

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10
Q

cross profile

A

the change in river width and bank gradient at a specific, a slice across the river

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11
Q

long profile

A

the change in height and steepness of land as a river flows from the source to the mouth, a slice from source to mouth

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12
Q

waterfall

A

a vertical fall of water where the course of a river is interrupted by a steep drop in the land it is flowing over

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13
Q

gorge

A

a steep sided cut through the landscape formed over thousands of years by a retreating waterfall

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14
Q

plunge pool

A

the area of deep water at the bottom of a waterfall, formed by hydraulic action and the grinding of rocks and pebbles

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15
Q

flood plain

A

a flat area either side of a river which floods when the river overflows

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16
Q

meanders

A

bends found along the course of a river

17
Q

thalweg

A

the fastest current in a river, forced to the outer bend at a meander

18
Q

oxbow lake

A

a lake shaped like a crescent that is formed when a river bend is cut off from the main flow and becomes isolated

19
Q

helical flow

A

the corkscrew pattern of flow found in a river

20
Q

sediment

A

material such as sand and clay that is carried by a river

21
Q

levée

A

river embankments built as a flood defence

22
Q

mudflats

A

flat coastal areas formed when mud is deposited by rivers and coasts

23
Q

saltmarsh

A

an area of coastal grassland which is regularly flooded by seawater

24
Q

discharge

A

the amount of water flowing in a river at any one point

25
Q

hydrograph

A

a graph showing how a river responds to a storm, showing the rainfall and discharge over time

26
Q

antecedent rainfall

A

the amount of rain that has already fallen prior to a specific event

27
Q

lag time

A

the time between the peak rainfall and the maximum discharge in a river

28
Q

confluence

A

the point where two rivers meet

29
Q

hard engineering

A

building structures to deal with natural hazards, such as dams to prevent flooding

30
Q

soft engineering

A

involved adapting to natural hazards and working with nature to limit damage. e.g planting trees to limit flood risk