Rivers Flashcards
Watershed
The edge of the river basin
Trunk
The main river
Confluence
Where a river flows into another river
Tributary
A smaller river that flows towards the trunk river
Source
Where the river starts
Mouth
Where the river finishes p, goes into the sea
Hydraulic action
The force of the water hitting the river bed and banks and in cracks. This is most effective when the water is moving fast and when there is a lot of it
Abrasion
When the load carried by the river repeatedly hits the bed or banks dislodging particles into the flow of the river wearing away the bed and bank
Attrition
Wednesday is carried by the river knock against each other, gradually making the stones smaller and more rounded
Solution
When the river flows over limestone or chalk the rock is slowly dissolved. This is because it is soluble in mildly acidic river water
Load
The heavier and sharper the load, the greater the potential for erosion
Velocity
The greater the velocity, the greater the potential for erosion
Gradient
Increased gradient, increases the rate if erosion
Geology
Soft rocks such as sand and gravel are easily eroded
PH
Rates of solution are increased when the water is more acidic
