Rivers

Question 1

Relief

Answer 1

Height + shape of land e.g Contour lines

Question 2

Upland Landscapes

Answer 2

Area which is high above sea level - hard rock, so geology is more resistant to erosion

Question 3

Lowland areas

Answer 3

Area which is at or near sea level - usually soft rock, so geology is less resistant to erosion

Question 4

River system

Answer 4

Created by water draining off land

Question 5

Long profile

Answer 5

Change in altitude + gradient from river’s source to its mouth

Question 6

Cross profile/section

Answer 6

Imaginary ‘slice’ across a river channel + its valley at a particular point

Question 7

Erosion

Answer 7

Wearing away + removal of material by moving force e.g fast flowing water in a river

Question 8

Fluvial processes

Answer 8

Action of river through processes of erosion, transportation + deposition

Question 9

Hydraulic action

Answer 9

Force of water hitting river bed + banks

Question 10

Abrasion

Answer 10

When load carried by river repeatedly hits bed + banks, dislodging particles into flow of river

Question 11

Load

Answer 11

Material transported by a river

Question 12

Attrition

Answer 12

When stones carried by river knock against each other, gradually making stones smaller + rounder

Question 13

Solution

Answer 13

When river flows over limestone or chalk, rock is slowly dissolved as it’s soluble in mildly acidic river water

Question 14

Vertical erosion

Answer 14

Downwards erosion

Question 15

Lateral erosion

Answer 15

Sideways erosion

Question 16

Traction

Answer 16

Large rocks roll across river bed

Question 17

Saltation

Answer 17

Small rocks bounce across river bed

Question 18

Suspension

Answer 18

Small sediment that’s light enough to be suspended in river

Question 19

Solution (T)

Answer 19

Dissolved sediment floats in water

Question 20

Deposition

Answer 20

Occurs when velocity of river decreases + it no longer has enough energy to transport its sediment, so it’s deposited

Question 21

Velocity

Answer 21

Speed of river

Question 22

Volume

Answer 22

Amount of water

Question 23

Discharge

Answer 23

Amount of water passing a specific point at a given time

Question 24

Channel shape

Answer 24

Width + depth of river

Question 25

Sedimentary

Answer 25

Eroded material that has been compressed

Question 26

Igneous

Answer 26

Volcanic rock

Question 27

Metamorphic

Answer 27

Formed by heat or pressure

Question 28

Source

Answer 28

Starting point of river, often spring or lake

Question 29

Drainage basin

Answer 29

Land that is drained by river + its tributaries

Question 30

Tributary

Answer 30

River or stream that joins larger river

Question 31

Confluence

Answer 31

Point at which tributary joins larger river

Question 32

Watershed

Answer 32

Boundary of drainage basin

Question 33

Mouth

Answer 33

End point where river leaves its drainage basin + flows into sea

Question 34

Riffle

Answer 34

Shallow section of river

Question 35

Pool

Answer 35

Deep section of river

Question 36

River cliff

Answer 36

Steep outside of meander bend, like cliff

Question 37

Flooding

Answer 37

Occurs when river channel can no longer hold amount of water in it

Question 38

Lag time

Answer 38

Difference between peak rainfall + peak discharge

Question 39

Bankfull discharge

Answer 39

Height at which flood could occur - variable from river to river

Question 40

Through flow

Answer 40

Movement of water through soil

Question 41

Storm runoff

Answer 41

Really fast water runoff on land

Question 42

Normal flow

Answer 42

Normal amount of water in river

Question 43

Rising limb

Answer 43

Discharge is increasing

Question 44

Falling limb

Answer 44

Discharge is decreasing + water level is returning to normal

Question 45

Hard engineering

Answer 45

Where man made structures are used to prevent or control natural processes from taking place e.g flooding

Question 46

Soft engineering

Answer 46

Involves adapting to river + working with natural processes