Lower Course Of A River

Question 1

Describe the lower course of a river

Answer 1

wider
Deeper
Valley floor is flat
Floor is wide
The river meanders
Flat land either side of river

Question 2

What is the main process in the lower course of a river?

Answer 2

Deposition
A rivers lower course has lost a lot of energy

Question 3

What landforms are in the lower course by deposition?

Answer 3

Floodplains
Levees

Question 4

What is a floodplain

Answer 4

An area of land which the river flows over and is very flat.
During times of flood, a river will overflow its banks and cover the surrounding land.

Question 5

What is a levee?

Answer 5

A natural embankment of deposited material.
Sometimes strengthened to protect the surrounding area from floods.

Question 6

What is silt and how is it made

Answer 6

Whenever a river floods, a thin layer of material called “silt” spreads over the floodplain

Question 7

How can a levee form?

Answer 7

Larger material is deposited along the banks
Larger particles dropped first as the water doesn’t have enough energy to carry them. This builds up to form a levee