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River Landscapes (P1- SEC C) Flashcards

1
Q

Upper course characteristics

A

Steep, V-shaped Valley
Narrow/shallow channel
High bed load

FEATURES :
V draped valleys
Interlocking spurs
Waterfalls
Gorges

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2
Q

Middle course characteristics and features ?

A
  • open , gentle sloping valley with floodplain
  • wider /deeper channel
  • more suspended sediment

FEATURES :
- meanders
- river cliffs
- slip off slopes

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3
Q

Lower course characteristics and features ?

A
  • open gentle sloping valley with floodplain.
  • flat and wide floodplain
  • wide open valley
  • very wide /deep channel

FEATURES :
Oxbow lakes
Flood plains
Levees

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4
Q

Watershed ?

A

The boundary dividing one drainage basin from another

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5
Q

Confluence ?

A

Where 2 river join

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6
Q

Hydraulic action ?

A

Thé force of water hunting river bed/banks

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7
Q

Abrasion ?

A

Load carried by river repeatedly hits the bed / banks dislodging particles into the flow of the river

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8
Q

Attrition?

A

When stones carried by the river know against each other making stones smaller and rounded

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9
Q

Solution ?

A

River flows over limestone /chalk , the rock slowly dissolved

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10
Q

transportation processes (4)

A

Traction - large particles rolled over sea bed
Saltation: ‘bouncing of particles too heavy to be suspende
suspension : small sediment held in the river
solution : dissolved load

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11
Q

EROSION LANDFROMS : INTERLOCKING SPURS
- how is it formed and what are they?

A

outcrops of land along the river course in a valley

  • forms near source of river /not powerful enough to cut through ‘spurs of land’ so flows around the
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12
Q

EROSION LANDFROMS : V-SHAPED VALLEY
- how is it formed and what are they?

A
  • as small stream flows downhill steeply, the bedlam erodes downwards
  • this vertical erosion deepens the valley, making the sides deeper/exposed
  • overtime, weathering/gravity wear away steep valley sides, forcing material into the stream, which it uses to cut valley deeper
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13
Q

EROSION LANDFROMS : WATERFALL S
- how is it formed and what are they?

A
  • SOFTER ROCK erodes quicker undercutting hard rock , creating PLUNGE POOL
  • overhang collapses / falls into plunge pool increasing abrasion/ making plunge pool deeper
  • waterfall retreats
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14
Q

EROSION LANDFROMS : GORGES
- how is it formed and what are they?

A
  • NARROW, steep-sided valley usually found immediately downstream of a waterfall
  • formed by gradual retreat of a waterfall
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15
Q

EROSION LANDFROMS : RAPIDS
what are they?

A
  • FAST FLOWING, turbulent sections of a river where the river bed has a relativley steep gradient
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16
Q

EROSION/DEPOSITION LANDFROMS : MEANDERS/OXBOW LAKES
- how is it formed and what are they?

A
  • as a slight bend in a river occurs, water flows faster on outside bend (erosion) the. inside bend (deposition)
    -more exaggerated meanders due to erosion/deposition, so NECK BEGINS TO NARROW
  • in flood, river cuts the neck taking shortest route - DEPOSITION SEALS OFF OLD MEANDER
  • old meander is completely cut off , rive has a new course and ox bow lake is formed
17
Q

DEPOSITION LANDFORMS : FLOODPLAINS
- how is it formed and what are they?

A
  • wide flat area of Marchy land on either Side of a river
  1. meanders migrate across floodplain due to LATERAL EROSION -
    - when they reach the edge of floodplain , they erode edge of VALLEY
  2. when river floods, loses velocity and it deposits finer sediments
18
Q

DEPOSITION LANDFORMS : ESTUARIES
- how is it formed and what are they?

A
  • transitional ones between river and coastal environment
  • during a rising tide, river water is unable to be discharged into the sea
  • river’s velocity falls and sediment is deposited
  • deposits form MUDFLATS
  • MUDFLATS form into natural habitats called SALTMARSHES
19
Q

CASE STUDY : river tees
where, what landforms?

A
  • NE OF ENGLAND ( SOURCE HIGH IN PENNINE HILLS)
    LANDFORMS :
  • waterfalls/gorges (erosion)
  • meanders (erosion/deposition)
    -levees/floodplains (deposition)
20
Q

factors increasing flood risk
physical/human ?

A

PHYSICAL
- precipitation - lead to rapid saturation of upper soil, so excess water goes to rivers as surface runoff
- geology - impermeable rocks make water flow overland into river channels
steep slopes - cause greater overland flow/ shorter lag time

HUMAN
- urbanisation - creates impermeable surfaces causing rapid water movement into river channels
- deforestation - when trees are removed, more water available/transferred rapidly to channel - less interception/infiltration
- agriculture- soil is left exposed , leads to more surface run-off

21
Q

hydrograph?

A

a graph that plots a river’s discharge after a storm

22
Q

discharge ?

A

quantity of water that passes a given point on a stream or river bank within a given period of time

23
Q

peak discharge ?

A

highest discharge

24
Q

lag time?

A

time in hours between the highest rainfall hughest peak discharge

25
HARD ENGINEERING: dams and reservoirs Cost/benefits
Controls the river flow by blocking the river and letting water in a controlled way. BENEFITS: multipurpose - effective water regulator Costs: expensive - flood large areas
26
HARD ENGINEERING: embankment Cost/benefits
Raised river bank - hold more water BENEFITS: - cheaper - sustainable - look natural COST: concrete walls are unnattraxtive
27
HARD ENGINEERING: channel straightening Cost/benefits
Cut through meanders to create straight Channel - speed up water flow BENEFITS : protects vulnerable location COST: increase flood risk downstream - unattractive - unnatural - damage habitats
28
HARD ENGINEERING: Flood relief channels AD/DIS
Man made river channel constructed to bypass urban area Benefit : reduce threat of flood - reduces losses for those living nearby DIS : expensive - regular maintainence
29
SOFT ENGINEERING : FLOODPLAIN ZONING Cost /benefit
restricts different land uses to certain locations on the floodplain BENEFITS: reduce losses from flood Areas can be used for pasture , parklands and fields COST : difficult to implement on floodplains , causes land prices to fall
30
SOFT ENGINEERING : wetlands Cost /benefit
BENEFITS: - efficient store of water - valuable habitats to wildlife COST: takes long for wetlands to establish and grow
31
SOFT ENGINEERING : RIVER RESTORATION
- course of river changed So river restoration can return it to original course BENEFIT: reduce likelihood of flood - more habitats - restores wetland areas COST : expensive - can cause some areas to flood
32
SOFT ENGINEERING : PREPARING FOR FLOODS /flood warning COST/BENEFITS
- river basins monitored remotely using satellites /tech by measuring rainfall/river levels COST : ppl become ‘blighted’ by being at risk of flooding - property values drop BENEFITS : helps ppl prepare - cheaper
33
CASE STUDY : BANBURY Location , affected , management
Location : floodplain of river CHERWELL AFFECTED : - closure of towns of railway - 12.5 mill damage - more 150 Homes/ businesses damaged MANAGEMENT: - Earth embankment ( holds 3mill m3 of water ) - opening controls rate of flow downstream to Banbury - raised A361 road - pumping station to transfer excess water - Biodiversity Action plan habitat with ponds to store excess water
34
SOCIAL, ECONOMIC , ENVIRONMENTAL benefits/issues of Banbury ?
SOCIAL: - raised A361 avoided disruption to lives - quality of life improved - reduce anxiety of fear of flood ECONOMIC : - cost £18.5 mill - donors include ENVIRONMENTAL agency - benefits are estimated to be over £100 mill ENVIRONMENTAL : - 100000 tonnes of earth required to build embankment - new BPA habitat created -
35
Flashy storm hydrograph DESCRIPTION, WEATHER, ROCK TYPE, RELIEF, BASIN SIZE, VEGETATION
- short lag time , high peak , steep rising limb - intense storm /rapid snow melt - IMPERMEABLE rocks - HIGH STEEP SLOPE —> more run off - small drainage basin - few plants /deforestation
36
DEPOSITION LANDFORMS: levees - how are levees formed and what are they?
- levees are **raised embankments** alongside a river - when river floods, friction with land , **reduces velocity and increases deposition** - larger material is **deposited first** at sides of river, and finer material is deosoited further away - after many floods, **sediment builds** up to increase height of levées
37
how do factors that increase flood risk make the hydrograph look like?
Short lag time Steep rising limb High discharge As a result the river may not have the capacity to contain the water and so flood risk is higher
38
how do factors that decrease flood risk make hydrograph look like?
Longer lag time Gentle rising limb Lower discharge As a result the river is more able to cope with the water entering the channel and the flood risk is lower

Geography (13 decks)

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