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River Environments Flashcards

1
Q

What is the hydrological cycle

A

The constant global circulation of water in a closed system

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2
Q

Stores in the hydrological cycle

A
  • the atmosphere (water exists either as water vapour or clouds)
  • the land (where water is stored on the surface in rivers, lakes and reservoirs. Also stored in groundwater)
  • the sea (95 percent in the sea)
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3
Q

What is evaporation in the hydrological cycle

A

Due to the heat of the sun water is converted into water vapour

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4
Q

What is transpiration in the hydrological cycle

A

Plants take up water into the soil and ‘breathe’ it into the atmosphere as water vapour

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5
Q

What is evapotranspiration

A

The loss of moisture from the ground by evaporation from the soil

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6
Q

What is condensation

A

When water vapour cools into rain

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7
Q

What is precipitation

A

The transfer of water in any form from clouds to the land/sea

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8
Q

What is overland flow

A

Precipitation that eventually enters a stream, river or lake

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9
Q

What is infiltration and percolation

A

The transfer of water downwards through the soil into the aquifer/groundwater store

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10
Q

What is throughflow in a hydrological cycle

A

As a result of gravity, water moves slowly through the soil till it reaches a river

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11
Q

What is groundwater flow

A

Underground transfer of water to lakes, rivers and the sea

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12
Q

What is surface runoff

A

The flow of water over the ground surface eg. Rivers

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13
Q

What is interception

A

Precipitation that doesn’t reach the soil but is intercepted by plants

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14
Q

What is watershed

A

the area of high land forming the edge of a river basin

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15
Q

Factors affecting river discharge

A
  • rock and soil type
  • land use and vegetation cover
  • amount of rainfall
  • relief
  • weather conditions
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16
Q

What are storm hydrographs

A

Graphs that show how a drainage basin responds to a period of rainfall

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17
Q

What is basin lag time

A

Time difference between the peak of rainfall and the peak flow of the river

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18
Q

What are waterfalls

A

Upland river landform- a layer of hard rock overlays a layer of softer rock, as the river passes it is able to erode the soft rock at a faster pace. Hard rock overhang eventually collapses as there isn’t enough support and its weight isnt being supported

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19
Q

What is an interlocking spur

A

Valleys interlocking such that the river is forced to meander. They are formed where the river swings from side to side, and the river cuts vertically downwards into its bed

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20
Q

What are levees

A

Barriers composed of sediments made on either side of a river due to flooding.

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21
Q

What are meanders

A

Bends in a river

22
Q

What are floodplain

A

The flat land lying on either side of a river that periodically floods. They are very fertile

23
Q

What is an oxbow lake

A

a crescent-shaped lake that is formed when a meander of a river is cut off from the main channel

24
Q

What is a delta

A

A landform produced by the deposition of sediment of the mouth of a large river. They are vast areas of alluvium and form when the river deposits sediment faster that the sea can remove it

25
What is an estuary
The wide mouth of the river where it meets the sea. Where the freshwater and seawater mixes, brackish water is formed
26
Where is the source of the river tees
Cross Fell, Cumbria, England | 890+ metres above sea level
27
What does the upper course of the river tees look like
- valleys with steel side forming a v-shape - hard impermeable rock - High Force waterfall at 21 metres - gorge of recession - hard rock called whinsill - potholes and rapids
28
What does the middle course of the river Tees look like
- gradient becomes less steep - erodes laterally rather than downwards - meanders are formed and the river becomes wider
29
What does the lower course of the river tees look like
- close to Yarn there are very large meanders | - flooding causes levees to form and there are many ox bow lakes
30
The mouth of the river tees
North Sea near Middlesborough It is an estuary which has many important sites for wildlife like seals SSSIs
31
How discharge changes to downstream
Increases
32
How channel width and depth changes downstream
Increases
33
How average velocity changes downstream
Increases
34
How load quantity changes downstream
Increases
35
How load particle sizes change downstream
Decrease
36
How channel bed roughness changes downstream
Decreases
37
How slope angle changes downstream
Decreases
38
What is demand for water
The need for water for a range of uses- consumption
39
What is supply of water
Meeting the demands for water by taking it from sources like groundwater, lakes and rivers
40
Demand for water in Bangladesh
- a lot of demand for agriculture as a lot of the economy relies on agriculture (88 percent) - less for domestic as there is a lower standard of living (10 percent)
41
What are water deficit areas
Where water demand exceeds supply
42
What are water surplus areas
Where supply or availability of water exceeds demand
43
Organisation that are involved in the supply of water in the UK
DEFRA The environment agency EU
44
What are resevoirs
An artificial lake built to store water
45
Lake Vyrnwy
A reservoir in Powys, Wales Built in the 1880s to supply Liverpool with freshwater Flooded by alley and and entire village
46
Thames basin supply
35 percent of the water of the Thames water supply comes from Thames basin aquifers Largest river basin in the south east of England 2.6 million litres of drinking water to 9 million people in London The chalk group- most important aquifer
47
Desalination plant Thames Water
UKs first ever desalination plant Opened in 2012 150 million litres of drinking water each day
48
Pollution in water
Agricultural - eutrophication - liquid from farm slurry - fertilisers and pesticides Industrial - thermal pollution - spillages eg. Oil refineries Domestic - untreated sewage - washing clothes and bathing
49
What is water used for in Bangladesh
- increasing wealth and affluence | - growing crops such as boro rice
50
Pollution of water in Bangladesh
- arsenic that occurs naturally - pesticides - tanneries - poor sanitation + sewage
51
Causes of flooding
- impermeable surfaces (urbanisation) - prediction and prevention of flooding - urbanisation - rainfall intensity

Geography (6 decks)

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