Rivers Glossary Flashcards
Abstraction
the taking of water from rivers, lakes and from below the watertable (aquifers)
Aquifers
permeable rock that can transfer or store water below ground (ground water)
Attrition
A process of erosion. The material is moved along the bed of a river, collides with other material, and breaks up into smaller pieces.
Base flow
the usual level of a river, the part of a river’s discharge fed by groundwater
Catchment area
Drainage basin
Channel network
the pattern of linked streams and rivers within a drainage basin
Clean water
water that is fit for human consumption and is therefore relatively free from pollutants
Condensation
when water vapour is cooled and changes state to form water droplets
Confluence
where two rivers/streams meet
Corrasion
a process of erosion, sometimes known as abrasion. This is when fine material rubs against the river bank. The bank is worn away, by a sand
Corrosion
a process of erosion. Some rocks forming the banks and bed of a river are dissolved by acids in the water
Cumecs
cubic metres per second, the unit for river discharge
Dam
a large structure, usually of concrete, sometimes earth, built across a river to hold back a large body of water (reservoir) taken for human use
Deposition
the dropping of material that was being carried by a moving force, such as running water
Discharge
the quantity of water flowing in a river channel at a particular location and time
Drainage basin
It isa water system involving external inputs and outputs, where the amount of water in the system varies over time. It is the area where water from precipitation (rain/snow) drains downhill into a common body of water such as a river or lake. [The area drained by a river and its tributaries.]
Erosion
the wearing away and removal of material by a moving force, such as running water
Flood plain
the flat land lying either side of a river which periodically floods
Hydraulic action
a process of erosion. The sheer force of water hitting the banks of a river
Hydrograph
a graph showing the discharge of a river over a given period of time
Hydrological cycle
the global movement of water between the air, land and sea
Impermeable
if a material is impermeable, it does not allow water to pass through it
Interlocking spur
a series of ridges projecting out on alternate sides of a valley and around which a river winds
Levee
a raised bank of material deposited by a river during periods of flooding
Mass movement
the movement of weathered material down a slope due the force of gravity
Meander
a winding curve in a river’s course
Oxbow
a horseshoe
Pollution
the presence of chemicals, dirt or other substances which have harmful or poisonous effects on aspects of the environment such as rivers and the air
Reservoir
an area where water is collected and stored for human use
River regime
the seasonal variations in the discharge of a river
Saltation
a process of transportation.smaller stones are bounced along the bed of a river in a leap
Solution
a process of transportation. Dissolved material is transported by the river.
Stores
features, such as lakes, rivers and aquifers, that receive, hold and release water
Stormflow
the increase in stream velocity caused by a period of intense rainfall
Stream velocity
the speed at which water is flowing in a river at a given location and time
Suspension
a process of transportation. Fine material, light enough in weight to be carried by the river. It is this material that discolours the water.
Traction
a process of transportation. Large rocks and boulders are rolled along the bed of the river
Transfers
the movement of water between stores in the hydrological cycle
Transport
the movement of a river’s load
Waterfall
where a river’s water falls vertically, as where a band of hard rock runs across the river channel
Watershed
the boundary between neighbouring drainage basins
Weathering
the breakdown and decay of rock by natural processes, without the involvement of any moving force
