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Geography GCSE > River Landscapes > Flashcards

River Landscapes Flashcards

1
Q

What is weathering?

A

The breakdown of rocks in situ

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2
Q

What are the three types of weathering?

A

Mechanical
Chemical
Biological

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3
Q

What are the types of mass movement?

A

Sliding

Slumping

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4
Q

What types of erosion is there?

A

Attrition
Solution
Abrasion
Hydraulic Action

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5
Q

What is attrition?

A

Sediment bumping together wearing it down

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6
Q

What is hydraulic action?

A

The force of the water on the bed

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7
Q

What is solution?

A

Some rock minerals dissolve in river water

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8
Q

What is abrasion?

A

Material carried by the river rubs against the bed and banks

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9
Q

What is transport?

A

The way in which the river carries eroded material

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10
Q

What are the types of transport?

A

Traction
Saltation
Solution
Suspension

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11
Q

What is deposition?

A

The river slowing down and losing its energy leading to the dropping of sediment

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12
Q

What is traction?

A

Large boulders rolling along the river bed

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13
Q

What is saltation?

A

Smaller pebbles bouncing along the river bed

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14
Q

What is suspension?

A

Finer sand and silt particles are carried along in the river

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15
Q

What does a river long profile show?

A

THe height and distance downstream from the river’s source

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16
Q

Describe the gradient along the course of the river?

A

UC - Steep
MC - Less Steep
LC - Shallow

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17
Q

Describe the discharge along the course of the river?

A

UC - Small
MC - Large
LC - Very Large

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18
Q

Describe the depth along the course of the river?

A

UC - Shallow
MC - Deeper
LC - Deepest

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19
Q

Describe the channel shape along the course of the river?

A

UC - Narrow with steep sides
MC - Flat with steep sides
LC - Flat with sloping sides

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20
Q

Describe the velocity along the course of the river?

A

UC - Quite Fast
MC - Fast
LC - Very Fast

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21
Q

What features are present at the upper course?

A

Waterfalls and interlocking spurs

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22
Q

What features are present at the middle course?

A

Meanders and flood plains

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23
Q

What features are present in the lower course?

A

Meanders, flood plains, levees and ox-bow lakes

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24
Q

How does the climate impact the river?

A 
Erosion rate (more rain more discharge)
Transport rate (more water more discharge)
Weathering (Freeze-thaw in cold conditions)
Amount of discharge (more rain more discharge)
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25
What does the UK's changing weather cause?
Increasing frequency of storms Increasing periods of hot, dry weather Soil becoming impermeable during cold conditions
26
How do storms increase flooding?
More rainfall, more water in river
27
How does increasing periods of hot and dry weather cause flooding?
Soil will baked making it impermeable, therefore, when the water runs over it, it can't soak in
28
What are interlocking spurs?
The river's source flowing naturally through the valley and eventually joining up
29
What are waterfalls?
A undercutting of less resistant rock beneath more resistant rock
30
Explain how river cliffs form?
River cliffs form n the outside side of the meaner, when the faster water velocity laterally erodes the riverbank
31
What is a flood plain?
A wide, flat area of land either side of a river
32
How is a flood plain formed?
The river floods, spilling water over it. During the flood, the velocity of the river is reduced as it lloses energy, depositing sediment. The flood plain is then further shaped by continual lateral erosion
33
How do levees develop?
Flooding occurs, leaving the heaviest material first and the lightest material last, building a slope
34
How are point bars formed?
Deposition on the inside bends of meanders where the river current is relatively slow and therefore low in energy. This leads to the load being dropped due to low velocity, therefore the sediment gets deposited
35
How do meanders form?
By lateral erosion that starts to form large bends
36
What is found on the inner bend of a meander?
A point bar
37
What is found on the outer bend of a meander?
A river cliff
38
How do oxbow lakes form?
Narrow neck of meander is gradually eroded leading to water taking the quickest route, leading to depositon sealing off the old meander therefore the meander neck has been completely cut off
39
How has human activity affected rivers and their landscapes?
Urbanisation Farming Industry
40
How has urbanisation affected river landscape?
Impermeable surfaces build up, increasing overland flow Houses being built on flood plains Rivers channelised to make room for urban developments
41
How has agriculture affected river landscape?
Forests can be destroyed (trees inercept rainfall and take water in from soil) Using water on crops reduces the flow and velocity of a river so deposition occurs rather than erosion (less discharge)
42
How has industry affected river landscape?
Big use of water (reducing discharge therefore leading to less erosion) Pollution of water (leading to death of plants)
43
What are the physical causes of flooding?
Rainfall intensity Geology Snowmelting Drainage basin
44
How does drainage basin affect flooding?
If a river has a lot of tributaries, it means a lot of water will enter the river system, quickly
45
Physical effects of flooding?
Landslides, soil erosion, loss of habitats and contamination of water
46
Human effects of flooding?
Death, disease, damage to property, loss of crops and farm animals, disruption to transport and loss of quality of life
47
For hydrographs, what is the lag time?
The difference in time between the peak of the rainstorm and the peak of the river discharge
48
What does a short lag time mean for a river?
The greater the risk of flooding
49
What are examples of hard engineering?
Dams and reservoirs | Channelisation
50
What are the advantages to dams and reservoirs?
Stores large volumes of water Long lasting Can be used to make energy
51
What are the disadvantages to dams and reservoirs?
Expensive Sediment can build up Risk of flooding
52
What are the advantages of channelisation?
Allows water to flow more quickly
53
What are the disdvantages of channelisation?
Unattractive | More water is taken downstream increasing the flood risk to other settlements
54
What are examples of soft engineering?
Floodplain zoning | Washlands
55
What are the advantages of floodplain zoning?
Reduces number of homes at risk of flooding | Allows infiltration so surface run off takes place
56
What are the disadvantages of floodplain zoning?
Takes time and money to impliment | Restricts the growth of settlements
57
What are the advantages of washlands?
Creates an area for floodwater to go | Allows natural river processes such as deposition
58
What are the disadvantages of washlands?
Limits the use of land
59
What is washlands?
Areas next to rivers that are deliberatly flooded
60
What is floodplain zoning?
The prevention of development in areas most prone to flooding
61
How are human factors causing change in river dee, wales?
Channelisation of 8km which improved navigation, increased discharge and velocity Earth embankments were built along the middle course to protect agricultural land Under the River Dee Regulation Scheme, reservoirs were built
62
How are physical factors causing change in river dee, wales?
Rises in sea level will destroy the estuary landscape | Flood plain landscape caused the river to change its course over time

Geography GCSE (4 decks)

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