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Y11 GEOGRAPHY > RIVERS > Flashcards

RIVERS Flashcards

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1
Q

What is a drainage basin?

A

A area of land drained by a river and its tribuities

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2
Q

Interception?

A

Leaves on vegetation, collect water

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3
Q

Precipitation?

A
  • rainfall
  • snow
  • sleet

-(any form of moisture forming from the earths atmosphere

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4
Q

Surface storage?

A
  • storage of water

- e.g, a puddle

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5
Q

Infiltration?

A

When water soaks into the soil

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6
Q

Evaporation?

A

Water is heated by the sun, and it rises as water vapour

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7
Q

Transpiration?

A

Loss of water from plants into the atmosphere

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8
Q

Throughflow?

A

Movement of water through the soil

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9
Q

Groundwater flow?

A

Movement of water through underground rocks

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10
Q

Surface run off?

A
  • when water moves across the surface

- quickest form of water transfer

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11
Q

Evapotranspiration?

A

The sum of evaporation from the atmosphere and transpiration from plants

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12
Q

Lateral erosion?

A

Horizontal erosion, that makes the river banks wider

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13
Q

Vertical erosion?

A

Downward erosion, making the river banks deeper

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14
Q

Upper course characteristics?

A
  • faster velocity
  • steep gradient
  • vshaped valley
  • vertical erosion
  • rough/bumpy
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15
Q

Middle course chacteristics?

A
  • less steep
  • wider valley
  • lateral erosion
  • channel gets steeper
  • faster velocity
  • less angular
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16
Q

Lower course characteristics?

A
  • gentle gradient
  • very wide valley
  • deposition most active here
  • high velocity
  • smooth river bed
  • depth is wide and deep
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17
Q

What is deposition and when does it take place and why?

A
  • deposition is when everything is dropped by the river that its been carrying
  • occurs most in the lower course
  • if the velocity is reduced, there’s less energy as it cant be carried, so it gets dropped, as they require less energy
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18
Q

Traction?

A

Large boulders rolled along the river bed

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19
Q

Saltation?

A

Rocks bounce along the river bed, rocks get smaller and smoother

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20
Q

Solution?

A

Naturally occurring chemicals/acidic water dissolve rocks like limestone that contain calcium carbonate

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21
Q

Suspension

A

Fine like material is suspended and carried near the water surface

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22
Q

Attrition?

A

Larger rocks bang together making them smaller, larger and smoother

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23
Q

Hydraulic action?

A

Sheer force of the water blasting away small rock fragments, air expands in the cracks

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24
Q

Abrasion?

A

The load that the river is carrying wears away the bed and banks as its carried

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25
Q

Interlocking spurs chacteristsics?

A
  • vshaped valley
  • alternate projections sticking into the valley
  • narrow channel
  • convex shape
  • scree slopes
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26
Q

Interlocking spurs formation?

A

-energy cant cut round valley, so it goes straight through

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27
Q

Waterfalls characteristics?

A
  • plunge pool
  • hard rock overlies soft rock
  • undercut
  • overhang
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28
Q

Gorges characteristics?

A
  • steep sided
  • narrow valley
  • large angular bed load
  • found down stream from a waterfall
  • white fast flowing water
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29
Q

Waterfalls and gorges formation?

A
  • form in the upper course
  • hard rock e.g, granite, overlies soft rock, e.g, sandstone
  • fast flowing water erodes soft rock because its easier
  • leaving a undercut in the soft rock
  • overhang of hard rock is left
  • undercut grows larger
  • overhang collapses under gravity due to a lack of support
  • fallen rock falls into plunge pool, which is used to deepen it by abrasion
  • waterfall moves backwards and forms steep-sided gorge
  • e.g, high force waterfall
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30
Q

Meander chacteristics?

A
  • steep sided river cliff, located on outside bend

- inside bend is a slip off slope

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31
Q

Meander formation?

A
  • As the river erodes laterally, to the right side then the left side, it forms large bends, and then horseshoe-like loops called meanders.
  • The formation of meanders is due to both deposition and erosion and meanders gradually migrate downstream.
  • The force of the water erodes and undercuts the river bank on the outside of the bend where water flow has most energy due to decreased friction.
  • On the inside of the bend, where the river flow is slower, material is deposited, as there is more friction.
  • Over time the horseshoe become tighter, until the ends become very close together.
  • As the river breaks through, eg during a flood when the river has a higher discharge and more energy, and the ends join, the loop is cut-off from the main channel.
  • The cut-off loop is called an oxbow lake.
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32
Q

Oxbow lake characteristics?

A
  • steep drop on the outside
  • gentle slip off slope
  • marsh plants colonise the edges of the oxbow lake
  • fairly stagnant water in the middle of the river channel
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33
Q

Oxbow lake formation?

A
  • The river is meandering across the valley.
  • The river is eroding laterally (from side to side).
  • The river flows faster on the outside bends and erodes them.
  • The river flows slowly on the inside bends and deposits material so its course is changing.
  • Continual erosion and deposition narrows the neck of the meander.
  • Often during a flood the river will cut through the neck.
  • The river continues on its straighter path and the meander is abandoned.
  • New deposition seals off the ends and the cut-off becomes an oxbow lake that will eventually dry up.
34
Q

Floodplain chacteristics?

A
  • layers of alluvium
  • meanders
  • oxbow lakes
  • levees
  • salt marsh
35
Q

Floodplain formation?

A
  • flooding is essential for formation, coming into contact with the river banks
  • generating friction
  • decreasing energy
  • so the large sediment is dropped further
  • aluvimum
36
Q

Levée chacteristics?

A
  • steep sided banks on the channel side
  • gradins of sediment gets smaller
  • the smaller it is the further it moves
  • fairly flat top
37
Q

Levée formation?

A
  • flooding is essential for formation
  • and comes into contact with river banks, generating friction
  • decreasing its energy
38
Q

What is river flooding?

A

A natural event which occurs as a result of the river, receiving a large amount of water, beyond its normal limits

39
Q

Lag time?

A

The time between peak discharge and peak rainfall

40
Q

Rising limb?

A

Rapid increase in the volume of water in the river

41
Q

Falling limb?

A

Rapid decrease in the volume of water in the river

42
Q

Peak discharge?

A

When the river reaches its highest level

43
Q

Base flow?

A

Normal everyday level of the river

44
Q

Storm flow?

A

Rapid increased water level as a result of surface runoff

45
Q

Bankfull discharge?

A

Maximum capacity of a river before it floods?

46
Q

What is a hydrograph?

A

Records the changes in river discharge over time

47
Q

Physical causes of flooding-precipitation?

A
  • after heavy rainfall, the ground becomes saturated
  • less infiltration
  • more surface runoff
  • shortening lag time
  • increased flood risk
48
Q

Physical causes of flooding-relief?

A
  • steeper relief
  • water travels faster because of surface runoff
  • less opportunity for infiltration
  • shorter lag time
  • increased flood risk
49
Q

Physical causes of flooding-temperature?

A
  • higher temperatures means more évapotranspiration
  • lower river levels
  • reduced flood risk
50
Q

Physical causes of flooding-geology?

A
  • permeable pours rocks can absorb/store water
  • meaning less surface runoff
  • longer lag time
  • decreased flood risk
51
Q

Human causes of flooding-urbanisation?

A
  • comes more imperiable surface
  • infiltration cant happen
  • more surface runoff
  • shorter lag time
  • increased flood risk
52
Q

Human causes of flooding-deforestation?

A
  • less interception
  • less uptake by the roots
  • more surface runoff
  • shorter lag time
  • increased flood risk
53
Q

Impacts of flooding-social, temporary shelters?

A
  • diseases can spread more easily
  • due to cramped spaces and lack sanitation
  • e.g, cholera
54
Q

Impacts of flooding-social, loss of homes?

A
  • homelessness

- lack of personal valued possessions

55
Q

Impacts of flooding-social, deaths and injuries?

A
  • increased death toll

- trauma

56
Q

Impacts of flooding-social, damage to communication links?

A
  • emergency services cant reach those in need and help them
  • increased recovery time
  • increased death toll
57
Q

Impacts of flooding-economic, many business are forced to close?

A
  • they cant trade

- touristes scared to visit/put off visiting

58
Q

Impacts of flooding-economic, high repair/rebuilding costs?

A
  • takes money away from other areas

- négative impact on local economy

59
Q

Impacts of flooding-economic, insurance premiums may rise?

A
  • many people cant afford to pay them

- many people left unprotected

60
Q

Impacts of flooding-economic, people cant get to work?

A
  • individual money losses

- could lead to homelessness or death

61
Q

Impacts of flooding-environmental, animal and plant habitats?

A

-resulting in a loss of biodiversity

62
Q

Impacts of flooding-environmental, fertiliser can be washed into rivers?

A
  • can kill fish

- an kill other marine life

63
Q

Impacts of flooding-enviromental, rivers can be polluted?

A

-polluted by sewage if flood water mixes with raw sewage

64
Q

Impacts of flooding-environmental, loss of sensitive ecosystems?

A
  • such as salt marshes and mudflats

- destroyas habitats for nesting birds

65
Q

Where is boscastle?

A
  • north coast of Cornwall

- near Plymouth

66
Q

Physical causes of boscastle floods?

A
  • stormy weather occurred leading up to the 16th of August 2004, making the ground saturated, increasing surface runoff in the area, making it flood easier
  • evaporation rates were high, because the temperatures leading up to the 16th were also very high
  • lots of thunder clouds/storm clouds
  • located in valency valley
  • located in a steep vshaped valley, less infiltration, steep relief, faster water travel by surface runoff
  • higher concentration of water in the bottom of the valley
68
Q

Human causes Boscastle floods?

A
  • human built structures, low lying bridge, so the river became blocked, so the river went around the bridge, sweeping away debris like cars, and houses were affected by this
  • pure lack of preparation, no flood management was in place, meaning more severe impacts and more people would of survived/not been affected
  • drainage system was out of date and old, only a small capacity meaning they could overflow easier so raw sewage was everywhere
69
Q

Long term consequences of boscastle flood?

A
  • insurance premiums, so people are left unprotected, local people cant afford to pay the price
  • burst sewage pipe causing long term effects as it cost a lot of money
  • badly damaged buildings which costs thousands to repair
  • loss of tourism and the associated income resulting in a massive economic loss
  • witchcraft museum got destroyed and wasnt able to be recovered, so it had to permenatley close
  • tourists didnt want to return due to fear of it happening again
70
Q

Flood management scheme for boscastle?

A
  • cost £4.6 million
  • raised the car park to stop the cars from being washed away
  • removed the bridge and built a higher one
  • encouraged land owners to plant vegetation/trees on the valley sides to increase interception
  • cleared dead trees away from the valley
  • channel was widened and deepened so it could hold more water, making it less likely to flood again
71
Q

Short term consequences of boscastle flood?

A
  • roads were blocked so emergency services couldn’t reach the area, so only 2 helicopters at a time could reach them but that wasn’t enough, meaning prolonged rescue
  • houses were destroyed by cars and trees being carried at a high speed by the fast flowing river
  • people were trapped and had to climb to the roof of their houses for recovery
  • burst sewage so water was contaminated
  • homelessness, because temporary accommodation/shelter had to be set up, as the guest houses were fully booked up due to the fact it was in the summertime
72
Q

Damns and resivoir?

A

They store the water, then release it in a controlled manor

73
Q

Dams and resivoirs advantages?

A
  • provide hydroelectric power, which is sustainable

- provides drinking water for wildlife to drink

74
Q

Disadvantages of dams and resivoirs?

A
  • the floods displace people, usually farmers from their homes
  • unattractive, interferes with migration of fish
75
Q

Channel straightening?

A

The rivers travel faster, meaning the water travels faster, which reduces flood risk

76
Q

Channel straightening advantages?

A
  • easier for navigation for boats, helping trade and the economy
  • insurance costs go down, if its less likely to flood
77
Q

Channel straightening disadvantages?

A
  • visually unattractive

- habitats can be disrupted

78
Q

Embankments?

A

Raising and strengthening the river banks, meaning the river can hold more water, so flooding is less likely

79
Q

Émbankments advantages?

A
  • cheaper

- provides habitats for animals

80
Q

Embankments disadvantages?

A
  • higher maintience costs

- visually unattractive

81
Q

Flood relief channels?

A

Atrifically made channel, which is a backup channel for a river that floods a lot

82
Q

Flood relief channel advantages?

A

Insurance costs are lower in the area because the flood risk is less likely

83
Q

Flood relief channels disadvantages?

A

Expensive to set up, maintain and repair

Y11 GEOGRAPHY (16 decks)

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