rivers Flashcards
abrasion
pebbles grinding along a rock platform
attrition
when rocks carried by the sea knock against each other, becoming smaller and more rounded
confluence
the point where two streams or rivers join
discharge
the quantity of water that passes a point on a stream/river bank in a given time
drainage basin
the area around a river that is drained by the river/it’s tributaries
mouth
where the river enters the sea
soil creep
a slow movement on very gentle sloped because soil particles increase in size and weight and expand at right angles when wet, and contract when dry allowing for a slow movement
mass movement
the downhill movement of sediment due to gravity
erosion
the wearing away of rock along the coastline
freeze-thaw weathering
happens in porous/permeable rocks, low temps cause water to freeze and expand which widens the crack, it then melts and goes deeper and the process repeats
hydraulic action
sheer power of waves as they smash against a cliff, and air is compressed in cracks and the rock breaks apart
biological weathering
the breakdown of rocks due to the actions of plants, bacteria and animals
chemical weathering
the breakdown of rocks through chemical reactions
source
the beginning or start of a river
surface runoff
water moves across the surface of the earth, becoming a stream, tributary or river
