rivers Flashcards
What are the stores in the hydrological cycle?
- ocean
- ice
- reservoir
- groundwater
What are the Flows in the hydrological cycle?
- run-off
- through flow
- ground water flow
- rivers
What are the Processes in the hydrological cycle?
- evapouration
- condensation
- interception
- transpiration
- precipitation
- percolation
What is the source?
Where the river begins
What is the watershed?
separates 2 drainage baisins
What is a confluence?
where 2 rivers meet
What is a tributary?
small rivers that join the main river
What is the mouth?
where the river flows into a sea or lake
What are the characteristics of the upper course?
- steep sided ‘v’ shaped valley
- hilly and barren
- not much human activity
- small channel
- small discharge
What are the characteristics of the middle course?
- meanders along a flat flood plain with lots of vegetation and fertile land
- wide deep channel
- larger discharge
What is are the characteristics of the lower course?
- very large channel
- fast flowing and high energy
- used for transport
- flat surrounding land
- large discharge
Why do rivers deposit their load?
because they lose energy
What is the discharge of a river?
volume of water flowing through through a river channel
How is river discharge effected?
- rock and soil type
- land use
- rainfall
- relief
How is river erosion effected?
- gradient
- rock resistance
- velocity
- discharge
On a storm hydrograph what shows the rainfall and what shows the discharge?
- rainfall bar chart
- discharge line graph
What is base flow?
starting and finishing flow of the river either side of the increased discharge
What is the erosional process of Hydraulic action?
the force of the river against the banks can cause air to be trapped in cracks and crevices. The pressure weakens the banks and gradually wears it away.