Physical landscapes in the UK Flashcards
1
Q
fetch
A
the distance over which a wave has travelled
2
Q
swash
A
forward wave motion
3
Q
backwash
A
return wave motion to the sea
4
Q
spilling waves
A
destructive waves which push material onshore
5
Q
surging waves
A
waves which push materials up the beach, making it steeper
6
Q
plunging waves
A
destructive waves that bring material from the beach towards the sea
7
Q
constructive waves
A
low energy waves which add material to a beach, swash is more effective than backwash
8
Q
destructive waves
A
high energy waves which remove material from a beach, backwash is more effective than swash
9
Q
resistant
A
tough able to withstand weathering and/or erosion
10
Q
solution
A
dissolving action in water
11
Q
abrasion
A
an erosion process by which material carried in water (sea, river, glacier) scours and scrapes
12
Q
attrition
A
an erosion process by which particles get smaller and rounder as they collide with each other in water (sea, river)
13
Q
hydraulic action
A
an erosion process by which waves force air into cracking rock, exerting great pressure
14
Q
traction
A
the rolling and sliding of larger, heavier particles along a river bed or in the sea
15
Q
saltation
A
the bouncing or jumping movement of particles along a surface
16
Q
longshore drift
A
the movement of material along the shore due to wave action
17
Q
wave cut platform
A
a gently shelving area of solid rock stretching out to sea from the cliff front
18
Q
notch
A
a small indentation in a cliff face at high tide mark, results from wave action
19
Q
arch
A
a bridge-shaped feature formed by the erosion of a headland
20
Q
beach
A
a deposition feature consisting of loose material (usually sand or shingle)
21
Q
offshore
A
away from the land
22
Q
sand dune
A
a hill-like accumulation of sand at the back of beaches along low-lying coastlines
23
Q
water table
A
the level below the ground at which rocks are saturated
24
Q
spit
A
a long protrusion of deposited material extending from the coast into the sea, joined to the mainland at one end
25
estuary
a tidal river mouth where saltwater from the sea meets freshwater
26
bar
a strip of deposited sediment parallel to the coast
27
gabions
bundles of rock in a wire mesh cage, used to protect slopes, especially at the coast
28
groynes
man-made structures at right angles to the coast to stop material travelling along the beach by action of longshore drift
29
reprofiling
changing the face/front of a slope (e.g. to alter its steepness or height)
30
marram grass
tough, long-rooted, wide-blades grass that lives in sand and holds together the grains
31
Lyme grass
a salt-loving, one of the first to grow on sand dunes
32
sea couch
a salt-loving plant, one of the first to grow on sand dunes
33
saltmarsh
an area of deposition of fine material that is tidal, adapted plants grow and stabilise the area
34
land wash
facing away from the sea
35
fluvial
the processes associated with rivers and streams
36
channel
the groove in which water flows
37
wetted perimeter
the length of channel bed in contact with water when looking at a river's cross-section
38
source
the starting point of a river
39
mouth
where a river ends; usually meeting the sea
40
confluence
where any two rivers meet
41
drainage basin
the area from which water feeds into a river; also known as a river basin or catchment area
42
spine / trunk
the main channel in a river system
43
tributary
any river flowing into another, bigger river
44
watershed
the dividing line between two drainage basins
45
entrained
the process of material being taken into a agent of transport and erosion, suck as a river or glacier
46
headward
towards the source of a river
47
river bank
the land alongside a river, above the channel
48
undermine
erode from below, cause weakness
49
downcutting
vertical erosion of a channel, making it deeper
50
limestone
sedimentary carbonate rock often made from the remains of sea creatures
51
load
material carried by a river or a glacier
52
suspended load
particles carried along within the body of water
53
bedload
material on the river channel floor; generally the biggest particles and most difficult to move
54
interlocking spurs
fingers of land around which rivers flow; they obstruct the view up or down a vallley
55
waterfall
where the river water flows over a sudden vertical break
56
faulting
breaks in rocks; can be as small as a hairline or huge
57
plateau
flat, elevated land rising sharply above the area surrounding it on at least one side
58
gorge
a steep-sided section of a valley; usually rocky
59
floodplain
a low-lying area made of deposited material to the sides of a river channel; flood waters contribute to its formation
60
meander
a winding curve or bend in a river
61
meander belt
a area of a drainage basin where meanders are formed
62
friction
the force between surfaces tying to pass each other; in a river, there is friction between the water and channel
63
thalweg
the fastest part of a river, where there is least friction
64
flashy
description of a river that responds very slowly to rainstorms
65
subdued
description of a river that responds very slowly to rainstorms
66
lag time
the difference in time between peak rainfall and peak discharge
67
flood
a river going over its bank
68
intercept
to get in the way of; anything that stops rainwater reaching the ground, permanently or temporarily
69
dredging
scraping material out of a channel to make it bigger
70
entrained
the process of material being taken into an agent of transport
71
headward
towards the source of a river
72
river bank
the land alongside a rive, above the channel
73
undermine
erode from below; cause weakness
74
downcutting
vertical erosion of a channel, making it deeper
75
limestone
sedimentary rock often made from the remains of sea creatures
76
load
material carried by a river or glacier
77
suspended load
particles carried along within the body of water
78
bedload
material on the floor; generally the biggest particles and most difficult to move
79
fluvial
the processes associated with rivers and streams
80
channel
the groove in which water flows
81
wetted perimeter
the channel of bed in contact with water when looking at river's cross section
82
source
the start of a river
83
mouth
where a river ends, usally meeting a sea
84
confluence
where two rivers meet
85
spine/trunk
the main channel in a river system
86
drainage basin
the area from which water feeds into a river; also known as a river basin or catchment area
87
tributary
any river flowing into another, bigger river
88
watershed
the dividing line between two drainage basins
89
interlocking spurs
finger of land around which rivers flow; they obstruct the view up or down the valley
90
waterfall
where river water flows over a sudden vertical break
91
waterfall
where river water flows over a sudden vertical break
92
faulting
breaks in rocks; can be as small as a hairline or huge
93
plateau
flat, elevated land rising sharply above the area surrounding it on at least one side
94
gorge
a steep-sided section of a valley; usuallly rocky
95
flodplain
a low-lying area made of deposited material to the sides of a river channel; flood waters contribute to its formation
96
meander
a winding curve or bend in a river
97
meander belt
the area of a drainage basin where meanders are formed
98
friction
the force between surfaces trying to pass each other; in a river, there is friction between the water and channel
99
thalweg
the fastest part of a river, where is least friction
100
sinuous
curving movement in a river's flow
101
helicoidal
like a flattened curve, water takes this motion at meander outer bends, hitting the bank high then moving down and outwards towards the next inner bend
102
slip-off slope
an area of deposition at the inside bend of a meander
103
ox-bow-lake
formed when a river meander is cut off
104
alluvium
material deposited by rivers
105
levee
a ridge of deposited material alongside a channel created during floods; artificial levees can be made as flood defences
106
tidal
influenced by the sea; seawater advances and retreats with the tide
107
flocculate
to cause material to join together, gain weight and sink to the bottom of a river or the sea
108
mudflats
low-lying areas to silt, clay and sand particles found in low energy environments, exposed at low tide
109
geology
the science of earths origins, including rocks and minerals
110
saturated
no more water can be held; if a permeable material becomes saturated, it becomes impermeable
111
channel catch
rainwater falling directly into the river
112
overland flow
water moving over the surface towards the channel
113
thoughflow
lateral movement of water below the surface ( through the soil towards river)
114
groundwater flow
slow, underground, horizontal movement of water towards the channel
115
discharge
the amount of water in a river channel that passes a place at one time
116
cumec
cubic metres per second; the measurement of discharge in a river
117
hydrograph
a graph that shows how a river's discharge changes in response to rainfall over a short period of time
118
flashy
description of a river that responds quickly to rainstorms
119
subdued
description of a river that responds very slowly to rainstorms
120
lag time
the difference in time between peak rainfall and peak discharge
121
flood
a river going over its bank
122
intercept
to get in the way of; anything that stops rainwater reaching the ground permanently or temporarily
123
dredging
scraping material out of a channel to make it bigger
124
terracing
changing a slope into shallow steps; this makes the overall slope less steep and creates flat surfaces
125
embankment
an artifical bank built alongside a channel; can be made of natural materials or concrete
126
peat
partly decomposed vegetation and organic matter; holds a lot of water
