Rivers

Question 1

Pronounced bends along the middle course of rivers are known as?

Answer 1

Meanders

Question 2

What electric power is created by harnessing the energy of rivers

Answer 2

Hydro

Question 3

Fertile material deposited by rivers on their flood plains is known as?

Answer 3

Alluvium

Question 4

What is the beginning of a river called?

Answer 4

Source

Question 5

What is the route a river takes to the sea?

Answer 5

Course

Question 6

What is the point at which two rivers or streams join together?

Answer 6

Confluence

Question 7

What is a tributary

Answer 7

A smaller river that flows into a larger river

Question 8

What is the point where a river comes to the end called?

Answer 8

Mouth

Question 9

What is a drainage basin

Answer 9

The area of land drained by a river

Question 10

What is a watershed

Answer 10

The edge of highland surrounding a drainage basin

Question 11

What is the part of a river mouth that is tidal

Answer 11

Estuary

Question 12

What are the three stages of a river

Answer 12

Upper or Youthful stage

Middle or Mature stage

Lower or Old stage

Question 13

Describe the Upper stage

Answer 13

It’s steep
Fast flowing
Little water
Lots of erosion

Question 14

Describe the Middle stage

Answer 14

River slows down
More water
Still eroding

Question 15

Describe the lower stage

Answer 15

River is very slow
Much more water
Depositing here
Not eroding

Question 16

What is Erosion

Answer 16

The river wears the landscape away

Question 17

What is Transportation

Answer 17

The river carries the material that it has eroded

Question 18

What is Deposition

Answer 18

The river drops off the material that it was carrying

Question 19

What is hydraulic action

Answer 19

The force of the moving water wears away the banks of the river

Question 20

What is Abrasion

Answer 20

Small stones carried by the river wear away the banks of the river

Question 21

What is Attrition

Answer 21

The small stones in the river are worn down and broken up as they hit off each other

Question 22

What is solution

Answer 22

Rocks, suck as limestone, and soil are dissolved by acids in the water

Question 23

What is a V shaped valley

Answer 23

A steep sided valley in the shape of a ‘V’, down which the river flows from its source

Question 24

How is a V shaped valley formed

Answer 24

The river cuts down into the river bank, making it deeper. This is called Hydraulic action. It creates a deep narrow valley. Mechanical weathering and mass movement also weather the sides of the valley, breaking down rock and soil. The material that falls into the river is carried downstream. e.g River Lee

Question 25

What are interlocking spurs

Answer 25

Areas of high ground that jut out at both sides of the v shaped valley

Question 26

How are interlocking spurs formed

Answer 26

As the river erodes the landscape in the upper course, it winds and bends around areas of hard rock that it cannot wear down. It still erodes vertically, however this process creates interlocking spurs,l which can be found at the upper course of the river

Question 27

What is a waterfall

Answer 27

A waterfall is a vertical drop in the course of the river in its youthful stage

Question 28

What is a meander

Answer 28

Meanders are curves or bends in the river as it flows along the course in its mature stage

Question 29

What is an Oxbow lake

Answer 29

An oxbow lake is a horseshoe-shaped lake that was formed when a meander was cut off from the river

Question 30

What is a flood plain?

Answer 30

A flood plain is a wide, flat area of land on either side of the river in its old stage

Question 31

What is a levee

Answer 31

A levee is a built up of alluvium on the banks of a river

Question 32

What is a Delta

Answer 32

A delta is a triangular or fan shaped area of land at the mouth of the river where it enters the sea

Question 33

What happens in waterfalls

Answer 33

As the water falls the soft rock erodes quicker, undercutting the hard rock, The rock is left overhanging and because it isn't supported, it eventually collapses The fallen rocks crash into the plunge pool, they swirl around and causing more erosion Overtime this process is repeated and the waterfall moves upstream

Question 34

How is a meander formed

Answer 34

Meanders are formed by both deposition and erosion. The rivers hydraulic action erodes and undercuts the riverbank on the outside of the bend, where water flow has most energy due to decreased friction Over time the horseshoe becomes tighter as the ends get closer together