Rivers Flashcards
What is percolation?
Water seeping Into rock
What is the hydrological cycle?
The hydrological cycle is the movement of a constant amount of water between the SEA, the LAND and the ATMOSPHERE. It’s a continuous cycle with no starting or end point
What is surface runoff?
Surface runoff is when water flows overground to rivers, lakes or the sea
What is channel flow?
Channel flow is the flow of water in a stream, river or lake
What is through flow?
through flow is when infiltrated water moves through soil to a river
What is groundwater flow?
Groundwater flow is when percolated water moves below the water Table to a river
What is Channel storage?
Channel storage happens in rivers an lakes and is vital for our water supply
What is groundwater storage?
Groundwater storage occurs in underground rocks which are porous- this means they collect water in the pore spaces between their particles
What is the water table?
The water table is the upper surface of saturated rocks in an area
What is soil moisture storage?
Soil moisture storage is when water is stored in the soil and is used by plants
What is short term storage?
Short term storage occurs after interception on plant leaves, flowers, etc.
What is evaporation?
Evaporation happens when the sea, lake, or river water is heated by the sun. The water vapour rises, then cools and condenses to form clouds
What is transpiration?
Transpiration is when plants lose moisture, the sun heats the plants and the water vapour rises (like evaporation but of vegetation)
What is a drainage basin?
A drainage basin is a land area drained by a river and its tributaries ( catchment area and drainage basin mean the same thing)
What is a watershed?
A watershed is the ground separating two neighbouring drainage basins.
What is the source of a river?
The source of a river is where the river starts, usually in an upland area
What is a tributary?
A tributary is a stream that joins the main river
What is a confluence?
A confluence is the point at where two rivers join
What is the mouth of a river?
The mouth is where the river flows into the sea
What is erosion?
Erosion is when the river wears land away
What is abrasion?
Abrasion is when large pieces of bed load material wear away the river bed banks e.g in floods.
What is attrition?
Attrition means the rocks being transported are eroded. The sediment particles knock against the bed or each other and break apart, becoming smaller and more rounded
What is hydraulic action?
Hydraulic action is when the force of the force of the water wears away at softer rocks such as clay. It can also weaken rocks along bedding plains and joints
What is solution or corrosion?
Solution or corrosion is when chalk and limestone dissolve in water.
Name the input of the drainage basin
Precipitation
Name at least three flows of a the drainage basin system
Surface runoff Channel flow Infiltration Through flow Percolation Groundwater flow
Name at least three stores of the drainage basin system
Channel storage Groundwater storage Short term storage Soil moisture storage Vegetation storage
Name the three outputs of the drainage basin system
River run off
Evaporation
Transportation
What is headward erosion?
Headward erosion is when the furthest point upstream the valley head, is worn away by rain wash, undercutting or soil creep. (Soil creep is the slow movement of soil downhill over time.)
What is vertical erosion?
Vertical erosion deepens the valley as the water force grows
What is lateral erosion?
Lateral erosion widens the valley, combined with weathering I the sides, common in the middle and lower stage valleys
What is suspension?
Suspension is when fine slit and clay material is carried along in the water itself.
What is saltation?
Saltation is when sand sized particles are bounced along the river bed
What is traction?
Traction is when larger materials likes pebbles or boulders are dragged along the bed
What is solution?
Solution is when eroded material dissolved in the water is carried away
What is deposition?
Deposition is when a river dumps it’s load
Which part of a river would you find meanders?
Lower and middle sections
What is a flood plain?
The floodplain is the wide valley floor which the river regularly floods it’s flat and covered in alluvium, making it good farmland
What are levees?
Levees are raised river banks
What is afforestation?
Planting trees
Who’s is discharge measured in?
Curmecs
