Key Words Flashcards
Carrying capacity
The ability of a landscape to absorb the activity of people without any lasting damage.
Honey pot sites
Places that attract many tourists and which are often congested at peak times.
Upland
A landscape that is hilly or mountainous. Upland landscapes contain large areas of open space with few field boundaries.
Abrasion
Erosion caused by friction which occurs when a river carries sand, gravel or pebbles and uses them to wear away the landscape.
Attrition
A type of erosion where rocks smash against each other making them smaller and more rounded.
Deposition
The laying down of material in the landscape. Deposition occurs when the force that was carrying the sediment is reduced.
Drainage basin
The area a river collects its water from. This is also called the river’s catchment area.
Floodplain
The flat area beside a river channel that is covered in water during a flood event.
Gorges
Steep sided, narrow valleys often found below a waterfall.
Hydraulic action
Erosion caused when water and air are forced into gaps in rock or soil.
Meander
A sweeping curve or bend in the river’s course
Plunge pool
The pool of water found at the base of a waterfall. Plunge pools are erosional features created by abrasion and hydraulic action of the plunging water
Slip-off slope
The gentle slope on a river beach (or point bar) that is formed by deposition of sediment on the inside bend of a meander.
Transport (in rivers)
The movement of material as it is carried by a river through the landscape.
Discharge
The amount of water flowing through a river channel or out of an aquifer. Discharge is measured in cubic metres per second (cumecs).
