Rivers Flashcards
Source
The place where river begins
Course
The route the river takes to the sea
Tributary
A small river that joins a larger river
Confluence
The point where the tributary joins the river
Mouth
The point where the river enters the sea
Estuary
The part of the mouth that is tidal
Basin
The area of land drained by a river
Watershed
The high ground separating one river basin from another
Youthful stage
Valley has a narrow floor and steep sides
Mature stage
Valley has a wider floor and the sides are more gently sloped
Old stage
Valley has a wide flat floor and gentle sides
Hydraulic action
The force of moving water wears away the banks and beds
Abrasion
Caused by rivers load striking the bed and banks of river
Solution
Rocks and soil are dissolved by acids in waters
Attrition
Rock and stone carried by the river strike off each other
Rolling
The large stones are rolled along the bed of river
Bouncing
The smaller pebbles are bounced along the river bed
Suspension
Light materials such as sand and silt are carried along (floating)) in water
Solution
Dissolved materials are carried along by river
What is deposition?
Occurs when a river drops its bed load
Why does deposition occur?
Decrease in speed and volume
Increase in volume
What is a shaped valley?
Feature of erosion
Process of abrasion and hydraulic action deepen river channel
What are interlocking spurs?
Areas of highland that jut out on either side of river
Feature of erosion
What are the features of the upper course?
Waterfall
V shaped valley
Interlocking spurs
What is a meander?
Large bends in the middle course of a river
Feature of erosion
What is a floodplain?
Wide area of flat land on either side of a river
Feature or deposition
What are the features of the middle course
Flood plains
Meanders
What is am oxbow lake?
Is a lake in the shape of a horseshoe on the floodplain of a river.
What is a levee?
Long narrow ridge es of alluvium along banks of a river
Deposition
What is a delta?
Triangular piece of land at mouth of river
What are the features of lower course?
Oxbow lake
Levee
Delta
