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Geography > River Landscapes in the UK > Flashcards

River Landscapes in the UK Flashcards

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1
Q

What is a river

A

A ribbon-like body of water that flows downhill from the force of gravity

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2
Q

What is the source

A

Where the river starts

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3
Q

What is the mouth

A

Where the river ends

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4
Q

What is the tributary

A

Stream or smaller river meeting the main channel

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5
Q

What is the confluence

A

Area where the tributary meets the main channel

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6
Q

What is the drainage basin

A

Area of land drained by a river

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7
Q

What is the watershed

A

The dividing line formed by hills that marks a boundary between two drainage basins

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8
Q

What is a river long profile

A

The gradient of a river as it journeys from source to mouth

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9
Q

What are the 3 sections of a river

A

Upper Course
Middle Course
Lower Course

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10
Q

What are the two types of erosion

A

Lateral
Vertical

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11
Q

What is vertical erosion

A

Deepening of a riverbed, mostly by hydraulic action. It is dominant in the upper course of a river. The little energy provided, deepens the chance

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12
Q

What is lateral erosion

A

“Sideways” erosion. It wears away the banks of a river. It is dominant in the lower course of a river

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13
Q

Give some characteristics of the Upper Course

A

Steep gradients
Narrow river channels
Interlocking spurs
Steep valley sides
Vertical erosion

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14
Q

Give landforms in the Upper Course

A

Waterfalls
Gorges
Interlocking spurs
Rapids
V Shaped Valleys
Steep valley sides

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15
Q

What erosion applies in Upper Course

A

Vertical erosion

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16
Q

What is a waterfall

A

A steep drop in the upper course of a river

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17
Q

What is a gorge

A

A narrow steep sided valley forming after a retreated waterfall

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18
Q

What is retreat

A

Backward action

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19
Q

What is a plunge pool

A

A deep pool of water under a waterfall, created by falling water, rocks and other sediment

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20
Q

What is overhang

A

A ledge of unsupported rock which eventually collapses

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21
Q

What is undercutting

A

When land erodes at sea or river level, leaving unstable unsupported land above it

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22
Q

What is headward erosion

A

Increases river length. It is the most active in the source area of a river or a steep riverbed

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23
Q

How is a waterfall formed

A
  1. A band of hard rock is placed on top of a band of soft rock.
  2. Erosion processes such as abrasion and hydraulic action dominate as the river flows downstream
  3. Softer rock is eroded further than hard rock, which then forms a step in the riverbed
  4. The step then starts to undercut the hard rock, leaving an overhang, which then collapses, and falling rocks fall
  5. Fallen rocks form a plunge pool at the base of the waterfall, where the river continues to erode the softer rock. Dropped material is collected by the plunge pool via hydraulic action and abrasion

This all leaves a waterfall

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24
Q

How is a gorge formed

A

When a waterfall retreats up a valley

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25
Q

What are interlocking spurs

A

Outcrops of land along a river course in the valley

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26
Q

How are interlocking spurs formed

A
  1. Hydraulic action deepens the river channel
  2. Freeze thaw weathering weakens the rock, giving the valley steep sides
  3. River winds around projections of harder rock, taking the path of least resistance.

This leaves interlocking spurs

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27
Q

What is a V Shaped Valley

A

A steep sided valley

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28
Q

What is a meander

A

A river bend in the channel

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29
Q

What is an ox bow lake

A

When a meander is cut off to form a lake

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30
Q

What are landforms in the middle course

A

Meanders
Ox bow lakes

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31
Q

What erosion is used in the middle course

A

Lateral erosion

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32
Q

What are characteristics of the middle course

A

A gentle gradient and more lateral erosion than in upper course
A deeper and wider river channel
Tributaries
River beaches

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33
Q

How is a meander formed

A
  1. When water makes its way to the middle course, it gains water and energy
  2. Lateral erosion widens the river. When the water flows over flatter land, they develop large bends

This forms a meander

34
Q

How are slip off slopes formed

A
  1. As the river goes around a bend, most of the water is pushed outside. This increases speed and erosion (hydraulic action and abrasion)
  2. Lateral erosion on the outside bend causes undercutting of the bank, forming a river cliff.
  3. Water on the inside of the bend is slower, causing decreased water speed, and deposited eroded material, creating a gentle slope of sand and shingle

This forms a slip off slope

35
Q

How is an ox bow lake formed

A
  1. As erosion on the outside of bends continue, the river’s bends get nearer to each other and create a swan’s neck meander (a small piece of land between bends)
  2. During floods, high energy water will breach the meander neck
  3. This makes the river flow in a straighter and faster course
  4. Overtime, deposits fill in the inside of bends
  5. The meander is then cut off

This forms an oxbow lake

36
Q

What are landforms in the lower course

A

Floodplains
Levees
Estuaries
Delta

37
Q

What are characteristics in the lower course

A

Gentle flow on gentle slope
High volume
Large discharge of water
Low energy levels
Slow current
More lateral erosion
Wide and deep channel
Wide floodplain

38
Q

What is a floodplain

A

An area of land covered in water when a river bursts its banks

39
Q

How are floodplains formed

A
  1. Erosion widens the valley away, removing the interlocking spurs present from the source and creating a wide, flat area next to the river
  2. Lateral erosion occurs as a form of meander formation and meander migration
  3. When the river overflows during a flood, material carried by the river is dropped as speed/energy is lost
  4. Overtime, sediment forms layers on the floodplain
40
Q

What is a levee

A

An embankment built to prevent the overflow of a river

41
Q

How are levees often created

A

Floods. After lots of floods are created, lots of levees are formed

42
Q

What is an estuary

A

The point where a river and sea meet. When they combine, they create brackish water

43
Q

What happens to an estuary at low tide

A

The sea retreats and mudflats are exposed to air

44
Q

What happens to an estuary at high tide

A

River overflows and sediments are built over time to make mudflats. River overflows its banks

45
Q

What is a mudflat

A

A stretch of muddy land left uncovered at low tide.

46
Q

What is river discharge

A

Volume of water flowing in river per second. It is measured in cubic metres per second

m cubed per second

47
Q

What happens if we increase river discharge

A

River level is increased

48
Q

Why does discharge and river velocity increase downstream

A

Discharge increases downstream as tributary streams join the main river and add their volume of water to it

49
Q

How does a flood occur

A

When the amount of water in a river exceeds its capacity

50
Q

What is capacity

A

A limited amount of something

51
Q

How can we measure river discharge

A

Hydrographs

52
Q

What is rainfall

A

When rain falls

53
Q

What is peak rainfall

A

Maximum rainfall in a time period

54
Q

What is lag time

A

Interval between peak discharge and peak rainfall

55
Q

What is the rising limb

A

When discharge rises

56
Q

What is falling limb

A

When discharge falls

57
Q

What is hard engineering

A

Use of man made structures to prevent or control natural processes from taking place.

58
Q

DRAWBACKS of hard engineering

A

Flood defences are too expensive

59
Q

BENEFITS of hard engineering

A

Very efficient
Good protection

60
Q

What are the four types of hard engineering river defences

A

Embankments
Channel straightening
Dredging
Dams

61
Q

What are dams + reservoirs

A

An area of land which is required to be flooded to work

62
Q

What are the drawbacks of dams + reservoirs

A

Involves displacing people

Distress, breakup communities

High costs

Soils downstream are less fertile from lack of river sediment deposited during floods

Fish migration disruption

Trapped sediment results in decreased reservoir capacity

Can trigger earthquakes

Creates landslides

Flood outstanding areas

63
Q

What are the benefits of dams + reservoirs

A

Turbine dams provide renewable energy

Promote new habitats

Attractive looks

Good drinking supply

Very effective - good flood control

64
Q

What is a flood relief channel

A

An artificial made channel designed as a backup channel for a frequently flooding river

65
Q

What are the drawbacks of a flood relief channel

A

Southernmost people may face disruption

Settlements downstream suffer from increased flooding

Expensive costs

Long time length

66
Q

What are the benefits of a flood relief channel

A

Removes risk of flooding from a designed area

Calm water provides a recreational area for model boating and canoeing

Attract artificial reed beds

Low insurance costs

67
Q

What is dredging

A

The removal of sediments and rubbish from the bottom of the waterway

68
Q

What are the drawbacks of dredging

A

Takes time to complete

River must be dredged regularly

Damage of natural habitats

Lowering oxygen levels

69
Q

What are the benefits of dredging

A

Clean, healthy rivers

Prevents flooding by deepening and straightening the river channel

Restores harmed environments

70
Q

What is an embankment

A

An artificially raised river bank (levee) Increases the water capacity of a river

71
Q

What are the drawbacks of an embankment

A

Prescence gives people a false sense of security

High maintenance costs

Constant monitoring and repair is required

Unattractive looks

Increased downstream sediment provides a negative cost

72
Q

What are the benefits of an embankment

A

Cheap costs

Safer from flooding - channel has an increased carrying capacity

Provides good walking routes

Attracts habitats

73
Q

What is soft engineering

A

The process of working with natural processes to manage flood risk

74
Q

What are the three types of soft engineering flood defences

A

River restoration
Wetlands
Floodplain zoning

75
Q

What are wetlands

A

Areas that flooding is deliberately allowed to flood

76
Q

What is river restoration

A

When the course of a river is artificially changed

77
Q

What are flood warnings/precipitations

A

Warnings about floods

78
Q

What are drawbacks of flood warnings

A

People may have restricted access to warnings

Flash floods may happen too quickly for an effective warming

They don’t stop land from flooding - they just warn

79
Q

What are benefits of flood warnings

A

People have time to protect properties

Many possessions can be saved

80
Q

What is floodplain zoning

A

Restricts different land areas to access to the floodplain

81
Q

What are drawbacks of floodplain zoning

A

Not always possible to change existing land uses

Planners need to decide what type of flood to plan for

82
Q
A

Geography (6 decks)

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