rivers Flashcards
what’s it like in upper course
steepest part of land in river , usually small and flows fast
energy levels are high and river cuts away the bed
v-shaped valleys
interlocking spurs
waterfalls
geoges
what’s it like in middle course
river starts flow slowly as transports sediment
gets wider as tributes join together
What’s it like in the lower course?
The river channel is deep and wide and the land around the river is flat
What does the river long profile show?
The long profile shows how the rivers gradient changes as it flows from its source to its mouth
Define source
Where river begins
define a drainage basinl
The area from which water drains into the river
Define watersheds
The imaginary line that separates two drainage basins
define confluence
The point where two rivers joined together
define tributes
Small rivers which joined the main river
define flood plane
Land that floods when a river over flows
Define mouth
Where the river flows into the sea or lake
Define riverbeds
The bottom of a river channel
Define riverbank
The side of a river channel
Define channel
What the river flows in
What are the energy levels like in the upper course?
high energy levels
what are the four changes that occur in the middle course?
- The Valley sides become less deep given the shape of an open V.
- The river begins to a road sideways into its bank. This opens out the valley floor and a floodplain starts to develop.
- Erosion and deposition occurs.
- The edges of the floodplain are marked by bluff.
what’s the dominant process in the lower course
deposition
define erosion
gradual removal of rock from a rivers bank and bed
define abrasion
Rocks carried along by the river where the river bed and banks
define hydraulic action
The force of the river against the banks can cause air to be trapped in the cracks
The pressure builds weakening the bed and the banks gradually wearing them away
define solution
Soluble particles and minerals are dissolved into the river
define attrition
Rocks being transported by the river smashed together and breaking into smaller rounder and smoother pieces
Define gradient
A steep gradient results in the river water being pulled by gravity cutting down and eroding the channel
Define rock resistance
erosion rate increases the more erodible the rock is