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Geography > Physical Landscapes in the UK - River Landscapes in the UK > Flashcards

Physical Landscapes in the UK - River Landscapes in the UK Flashcards

This is one of the optional topics for 'Physical landscapes of the UK' topic. You have a choice between two of glacial landscapes, coastal landscapes or river landscapes. If you are unsure, ask your class teacher.

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1
Q

Define ‘long profile’?

A

The change in the gradient of the river course from the upper course to the lower course.

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2
Q

What is a ‘cross profile’?

A

A cross section of the river - this shows a ‘slice’ of the river valley and channel

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3
Q

What is a V-Shaped valley?

A

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

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4
Q

What is a tributary?

A

A smaller river or stream flowing into a larger river

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5
Q

What is a confluence?

A

The point where two rivers meet

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6
Q

Define ‘load’

A

The amount of material carried by a river

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7
Q

What is ‘sediment’?

A

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

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8
Q

What are the characteristics of the upper course of a river?

A
  • Steep gradient
  • Narrow v-shaped valley
  • Narrow/shallow river
  • Large angular sedimant load
  • Mostly erosion taking place
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9
Q

What are the characteristics of the middle course of a river?

A
  • Shallower gradient
  • Asymmetrical valley cross section
  • Deeper river
  • Smaller/rounded load
  • Balance between erosion and transportation taking place
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10
Q

What are the characteristics of the lower course of a river?

A
  • Very low gradient
  • U-shaped valley
  • Wide/deep river
  • Small suspended load
  • Mostly deposition taking place
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11
Q

Define ‘erosion’?

A

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

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12
Q

Name the 4 processes of river erosion

A
  1. Abrasion
  2. Attrition
  3. Hydraulic Action
  4. Solution
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13
Q

Define ‘hydraulic action’

A

Fast flowing water pushes air into cracks and the force of this causes the channel to break up over time

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14
Q

Define ‘abrasion’

A

Sand and pebbles are dragged along the river bed, wearing it away

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15
Q

Define ‘attrition’

A

Rocks and stones wear each other away as they knock together

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16
Q

Define ‘solution’ (erosion)

A

Rocks such as limestone are dissolved in acid rainwater

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17
Q

Define ‘transportation’?

A

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

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18
Q

Name the 4 processes of river transportation

A
  1. Traction
  2. Saltation
  3. Suspension
  4. Solution
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19
Q

Define ‘traction’

A

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

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20
Q

Define ‘saltation’

A

Stones and pebbles bounce along the river bed

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21
Q

Define ‘suspension’

A

Smaller particles and stones (e.g. sand and silt) are carried along in the rivers flow.

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22
Q

Define ‘solution’

A

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

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23
Q

What does ‘deposition’ mean?

A

When a river drops the sediment that it is carrying

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24
Q

Why will a river deposit its load?

A
  • Drier weather (less water so less energy)
  • River slows in speed (less speed so less energy e.g. inside bend of a river)
  • River floods (water onto the flood plain and deposits layers fine silt and clay [this is known as alluvium] which is fertile and good for farming)
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25
Q

Name the river landforms formed by erosion

A
  1. Waterfalls
  2. Gorges
  3. Interlocking spurs
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26
Q

Name the river landforms formed by erosion and deposition

A
  1. Meanders
  2. Ox-bow lakes
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27
Q

Name landforms created by deposition

A
  1. Floodplains
  2. Levees
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28
Q

Name the landforms found in the upper course of a river valley

A
  1. Waterfalls
  2. Gorges
  3. Interlocking Spurs
  4. Rapids
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29
Q

What is a 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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30
Q

How does a waterfall form?

A
  1. Water flows over harder rock followed by softer rock
  2. The softer rock underneath the harder rock will erode over time (hydraulic action and abrasion) creating a step in the river
  3. The hard rock is undercut by erosion.
  4. Eventually the hard rock will collapse as it is now unsupported creating a deep plunge pool.
  5. The process will continue over time creating a steep sided gorge
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31
Q

What is a gorge?

A

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

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32
Q

What is a 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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33
Q

What are ‘interlocking spurs’?

A

‘Interlocking’ hillsides that look like a ‘zip’ formation.

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34
Q

How are interlocking spurs formed?

A

In the upper course, rivers aren’t powerful enough to erode laterally, so they wind around the hillsides creating a zig-zag shaped flow.

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35
Q

Name the landforms found in the middle course of the river

A
  1. Meanders
  2. Ox-bow lakes
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36
Q

Define ‘helical flow’?

A

The corkscrew pattern of flow found in a river

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37
Q

What is the thalweg?

A

The line of fastest flow in a river

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38
Q

What is a meander?

A

A pronounced bend in a river

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39
Q

What is an ox-bow lake?

A

A horse-shoe shaped lake shaped that is formed when a river bend is cut off from the main river and becomes isolated

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40
Q

Explain how an ox-bow lake forms

A
  1. The fastest flow of water is on the outside bend of the river
  2. This results in erosion. The outside bends move closer together as the meander neck becomes narrower.
  3. When there is a very high discharge, the river cuts across the neck and takes a straight course. The former meander is left as a horseshoe shaped ox-bow lake.
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41
Q

Name the landforms found in the lower course of a river valley?

A
  1. Wide floodplain
  2. Levees
  3. Deltas
  4. Estuaries
42
Q

What is a floodplain?

A

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

43
Q

What are mudflats?

A

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

44
Q

What is a levée?

A

River embankments found along the river banks

45
Q

How is a levée formed?

A
  1. The river channels get shallower during low flow conditions, causing deposition on the river bed.
  2. This means that the river cannot hold as much water as before as the river bed has risen.
  3. During a flood, sediment is deposited on the river banks; depositing coarser (heavier) sediment nearer to the river and finer sediment further away.
46
Q

Define ‘river discharge’

A

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

47
Q

List the factors affecting river discharge?

A
  • Rock and soil type
  • Land use
  • Rainfall
  • Weather conditions
  • Relief
48
Q

How can you recognise the upper course of a river on an OS map?

A
  • Contour lines are close together
  • River crosses lots of contour lines
  • Narrow river (thin blue line)
  • Spot heights are high numbers
49
Q

How can you recognise the lower course of a river on an OS map?

A
  • Limited contours or very wide contours (land is flat)
  • Wide river that is meandering
  • Spot heights are low numbers
50
Q

Name an example of a river valley in the UK

A

River Tees

51
Q

How can you recognise a V-shaped valley on an OS map?

A

V-shaped contours point uphill and river crosses the middle of the V-shaped contours

52
Q

Where is the River Tees?

A

In the North East of England

53
Q

Where is High Force waterfall?

A

Close to Forest-in-Teesdale on the River Tees

54
Q

Where is the mouth of the River Tees?

A

Middlesbrough. It flows into the North Sea

55
Q

Where is the source of the River Tees?

A

Pennine Hills near Cross Fell (height 893m)

56
Q

Name 4 physical causes of flooding?

A
  1. Heavy/Prolonged precipitation
  2. Snowmelt
  3. Relief (steep slopes)
  4. Geology
57
Q

Name 3 human causes of flooding?

A
  1. Urbanisation
  2. Deforestation
  3. Agriculture
58
Q

What is a hydrograph?

A

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

59
Q

What is a ‘flashy’ hydrograph?

A

A hydrograph with a short lag time and a high peak discharge

60
Q

What is a ‘flat’ hydrograph?

A

A hydrograph with a long lag time and a low peak discharge

61
Q

How is river discharge measured?

A

Cubic metres per second (cumecs)

62
Q

Which factors influence the shape of a flood hydrograph?

A
  • Basin size
  • Drainage density
  • Rock type
  • Land use
  • Relief
  • Rainfall intensity
63
Q

What is ‘lag time’?

A

The time between peak rainfall and peak discharge on a hydrograph

64
Q

What is antecedent rainfall?

A

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

65
Q

Define ‘interception’

A

Leaves and tree branches catch rainfall and prevent it from running into the river

66
Q

Define ‘infiltration’

A

Rain that soaks into the top layers of the soil and rock below

67
Q

What is impermeable rock?

A

Rock which water is not able to flow through

68
Q

What is permeable rock?

A

Rock which water is able to flow through

69
Q

Define surface run off?

A

Water runs over the top of ground which is very hard (i.e. baked soil or concrete) or very wet (saturated) ground.

Surface run off occurs when no water can infiltrate into the ground.

70
Q

What is hard engineering?

A

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

71
Q

Name a range of hard engineering stategies used to manage river flooding?

A
  • Reservoirs and dams
  • Channel straightening
  • Embankments
  • Flood relief channels
72
Q

What is soft engineering?

A

Soft engineering involves adapting to natural hazards and working with nature to limit damage. For example, planting trees to limit flood risk.

73
Q

Name a range of soft engineering strategies used to manage river flooding?

A
  • Afforestation
  • Land use zoning
  • River restoration
  • Wetland restoration
  • Flood warnings
74
Q

How do dams regulate water flow?

A

Durings periods of high rainfall, water is stored in the dam.

Water is released when rainfall is low

75
Q

Why is building dams controversial?

A
  • They are very expensive
  • Land is flooded to create the reservoir
  • People are relocated to make way for the dam
76
Q

What are the benefits of dams?

A
  • They are multi purpose - so they can be used to generate HEP as well as manage river flow.
  • They are affective holding back water in times of potential flood
  • They are long lasting
77
Q

Most dam schemes are multi-purpose. What are their main functions?

A
  • Flood prevention
  • Irrigation
  • Water supply
  • Hydro-electric power generation
  • Recreation e.g. sailing
78
Q

What is channel straightening?

A

Cutting through meanders to create a straight channel to speed up water flow

79
Q

What are the advantages of channel straightening?

A

It moves water out of an area quickly as water passes through a straight channel quicker than a meandering channel.

80
Q

Why is channel straightening problematic?

A

It may increase the risk of flooding further downstream

81
Q

What are river embankments?

A

Raised riverbanks which allow the river channel to hold more water and prevent flooding

82
Q

What are the advantages of river embankments?

A

Embankments increase the volume of water that the river can hold, reducing the risk of flooding.

83
Q

What are the problems with embankments?

A

Not always effective. Water can rise above the embankments, causing flooding.

84
Q

What are flood relief channels?

A

A man-made river channel constructed to by-pass an urban area

85
Q

What are the benefits of flood relief channels?

A

River discharge can be controlled by using gates to control water levels.

86
Q

What are the disadvantages of flood relief channels?

A

Increased levels of flooding could occur where the diverted water re-enters the river.

87
Q

How does floodplain zoning work?

A
  • It restricts different land uses to certain locations on the floodplain.
  • Expensive/important landuses are placed further away from the river e.g. housing and industry
  • Low value uses are placed close to the river e.g. pasture and parkland.
88
Q

What are the advantages of flood plain zoning?

A

Consideration into the landuse around the river is taken which means concrete surfaces are not used, reducing impermeable surfaces close to river. Less damage occurs as important facilities are located futher away.

89
Q

What are the disadvantages of flood plain zoning?

A

It limits the uses of land closes to a river

It is almost impossible to use flood plain zoning on land that has already been built on.

90
Q

What is river restoration?

A

Making the river more natural. For example:

  • When rivers have previously been artificially starightened they are returned to their original course.
  • Removing levees so that the river floods naturally

The purpose of this is to prevent flooding further downstream.

91
Q

What are the benefits of river restoration?

A
  • Less risk of flooding downstream
  • Limited maintenance needed
  • Creates habitats for birds
92
Q

What are the problems with river restoration?

A
  • Flooding can increase
  • Major floods are more likely unless planning takes place.
93
Q

How does afforestation help manage river flooding?

A

Planting trees to intercept and absorb water reduces surface run off.

94
Q

Who issues flood warnings in England and Wales?

A

The Environment Agency

95
Q

What are the 3 levels of flood warnings?

A
  1. Flood Watch
  2. Flood Warning
  3. Severe Flood Warning
96
Q

What would people be encouraged to do by the Environment Agency to prepare for a flood?

A
  1. Plan what to do eg. move possessions upstairs
  2. Use flood gates to prevent water entering their property
  3. Use sandbags to keep floodwater away from buildings
97
Q

Name a example of a flood management scheme in the UK

A

Morpeth Flood Scheme - River Wansbeck

98
Q

Why does the town of Morpeth, on the River Wansbeck, need a flood management scheme?

A
  • The river valley is narrow and steep leading to high levels of suface run off in times of high rainfall
  • Increasing levels of wetter weather exacerbate the flood risk
  • High cost of damage from previous flood events
99
Q

What was done to manage flooding in Morpeth?

A
  1. Lowford Bridge tree catching poles - to cacth debris and prevent it flowing downstream, and blocking bridges
  2. Mitford Dam - can hold back 1.3 million cubic metres of water, reducing flow to town centre
  3. Improved existing flood defences
  4. Flood gates set up - and designated flood warden to close gates at times of flood
100
Q

Describe the social issues (+ and -) arising from the Morpeth flood management scheme

A

+ Local people were consulted over defences

+ Residents on Mitford Housing Estate were paid compensation for Mitford Dam being built

  • … this caused conflict with other locals
  • Some houses on Wansbeck street (close to river) have not been defended
101
Q

Describe the economic issues (+ and -) arising from the Morpeth flood management scheme

A
  • /+ The Morpeth Flood Action Group are working to reduce insurance premiums for people living near the river.
  • Cost of the scheme was £25 million, £5 million over the original estimate.
102
Q

Describe the environmental issues (+ and -) arising from the Morpeth flood management scheme

A

+ In Jan 2016, Storm Desmond brought high river levels to the town. The flood defences held up and the flood gate was used.​

+ The native white clawed crayfish has been moved by hand to a new location in the River to ensure it is conserved.​

+The flood walls were designed so they fitted the historic image of the town​

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