Rivers Flashcards

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1
Q

Load

A

Material transported by the river

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2
Q

Mouth

A

Where river ends

At a lake or sea

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3
Q

Source

A

Where’re river starts

Usually in mountains

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4
Q

Course

A

Path the river takes as it flows from an upland area down through its valley until it enters the sea

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5
Q

Tributary

A

Stream or smaller river that connects to a larger river

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6
Q

Distributaries

A

River channels that branch off from a main river channel

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7
Q

Confluence

A

Where two rivers meet

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8
Q

Estuary

A

Tidal mouth of the rivers

Large and flat mud at low tide

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9
Q

Flood plain

A

Floor of river valley that consists of sediments deposited by the river

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10
Q

Alluvium

A

Rock particles deposited by a river

Makes soil fertile

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11
Q

Drainage basin

A

Land that is drained by a river and its tributaries

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12
Q

Eutrophication

A

High nitrate levels combined with phosphates ages excessive plant and algae growth, a deteriorating precess that results in lack of oxygen and the death of the river

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13
Q

Water shed

A

High land separating river basins

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14
Q

Gradient

A

Slope of a river profile. Steep close to source and gets gentler as it reaches towards the sea

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15
Q

River discharge

A

Volume of water carried by a river at any time

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16
Q

River drainage patterns (4)

A

Dendritic (tree)
Radial (wheel)
Trellised (right angles)
Deranged

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17
Q

Dendritic drainage forms where

A

Rocks have equal hardness

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18
Q

Radial patterns form where

A

Mountains

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19
Q

Trellised patterns form where

A

There is hard and soft rock and area experienced folding

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20
Q

Deranged patterns Are found where

A

Glaciación has impacted the landscape

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21
Q

Four types of river erosion

A

Hydraulic action
Solution
Abrasion
Attrition

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22
Q

Hydraulic action

A

Erosion by Force of moving water

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23
Q

Cavitation

A

A form of hydraulic action

Air bubbles in water colapse sending out shock waves that weaken banks

24
Q

Solution

A

Chemical erosion by chemicals in river taken from passing over rocks eg limestone and chalk

25
Q

Attrition

A

Particles in the rivers load are constantly colliding and eroding each other making smooth round pebbles

26
Q

Abrasion

A

The rivers load scratching and scraping the river channel. The greater speed, the bigger the load and it’s more energised to erode

27
Q

Four types of river transportation

A

Suspension
Saltation
Traction
Solution

28
Q

Suspension

A

Small particles are carried by the river water

29
Q

Saltation

A

Larger material bounces along the river bed eg pebbles

30
Q

Traction

A

Larger materials like large pebbles and sometimes boulders are rolled along the bed. Usually in times of high water due to flood

31
Q

Solution transportation

A

Minerals eg from limestone and chalk are soluble in water and carried dissolved in the water

32
Q

Two reasons a river will deposit its load

A

A reduction in speed

The size of its load increases

33
Q

Why might a river reduce its speed

A

It’s coming up to a lake or sea
Drought
Slope decrease
Meet an obstruction eg dam

34
Q

Reasons the amount of load carried by a river might increase

A

Mass movement eg landslide into a river
Heavy rainfall
Fast flowing tributaries

35
Q

Landforms in youthful stage

A

V shaped valley
Potholes
Interlocking Spurs
Waterfall

36
Q

What is a v shaped valley

A

A narrow, steep sided valley where the river completely fills the base

37
Q

What is a pothole

A

Hollows in the river bee but by swirling water and rock

38
Q

What is an interlocking spur

A

River takes a winding course as it cuts around areas of resistant and less resistant rock

39
Q

Landforms in the mature stage

A

Meander

Floodplain

40
Q

What is a floodplain

A

A wide, flat floor of the river valley that folds after periods of heavy rain

41
Q

Landforms in old course of river

A

Oxbow lakes,
Levees
Delta

42
Q

What is an oxbow lake

A

A crest shaped lake formed when a meander is cut off from a river. They have a short life span as they have no constant flow of new water

43
Q

What is an oxbow lake called when alluvium is deposited into it

A

Meander scar or mort lake

44
Q

What is a delta

A

Flat area formed by deposition of alluvium by a river when it enters slow moving water

45
Q

3 types of delta

A

Arcuate
Bird foot
Estuarine

46
Q

3 gorges dam size in height, length

A

2km long

180m high

47
Q

Where is 3 gorges

A

Yangtze River China

48
Q

How long did 3 gorges take to build and how much did it cost

A

17 years

48 billion

49
Q

Why was 3 gorges built

A
Prevent flood (1931- 13500 killed) 
Generate HEP for 60 million people -reducing coal intake
50
Q

Impacts of 3 gorges dam

A

1 million relocated to divert river
Reservoir slows velocity of river - blockage problems that engineers have solved by flushing
Land downstream is deprived of alluvium and farmers must buy fertiliser
Yangtze dolphin declared extinct in 2007

51
Q

Where is ardnacrusha dam

A

Shannon

52
Q

How long did ardnacrusha take to build
Who built it
How much was it

A

4 years
Germán Siemens
5 million

53
Q

Ardnacrusha meant Shannon had to be redirected to where

A

Head race canal

54
Q

Effects of ardnacrusha redirection

A

Lakes water rise
Flooded farms
Farmers compensated

Flooding in carrick on Shannon
Dry up some parts - destroying aquatic life

55
Q

What is Shannon used for now

A

3% of total energy usage
Tourism
Dam attracts foreign industry
Used by ESB