Rivers - Hydrological Cycle Flashcards
Evaporation
Water lost from the ground as liquid into water vapour from energy from the sun.
Percolation
Water seeping deeper below the ground surface
Groundwater flow
Water flowing through the rock layer parallel to the ground surface
Throughflow
Water flowing through the soil layer parallel to the ground surface
Surface Runoff
Water flowing over the surface of the ground
Condensation
Water cools down and changes state from water vapour to liquid = clouds
Precipiation
Moisture falling to the ground in any state e.g., rain, snow, sleet, hail
Transpiration
The process where plants absorb water through the roots and then give off water vapor through pores in their leaves.
Infiltration
The process by which water on the ground surface enters the ground
Interception
Water being prevented from reaching the surface by trees of grass
Drainage Basin
An area of ground which drains into a river
Source
start place of a river or stream
Mouth
place river enters the sea or a lake
Tributary
smaller river which flows into a bigger river
confluence
point where two rivers meet
watershed
area of land that separates water flowing to different rivers
long profile
- shows river’s gradient change between its source and mouth
- concave shape
cross profile
- shows u channel and valley
- certain points
attrition
rocks and stones smash against each other, creating smaller rocks
hydraulic action
sheer water pressure breaking down rocks
solution
chemicals dissolve minerals/sediment and carries them away in solution
abrasion
material rubbing against other things
load
- sediment carried by a river, sea or ice
- comes from erosion and riverbanks
traction
Boulders and big rocks being rolled down the riverbed
saltation
small stones bouncing on the riverbed
suspension
sediment is carried down stream
solution
chemicals dissolved in the water are taken downstream
deposition
- river deposits material its been carrying
- bc as it slows down energy decreases
upper course
- gradient: steep
- channel: shallow and narrow
- valley shape: v-shaped
- vertical erosion, abrasion
- large & angular load
- transportation: traction
- fast flow
- landforms: V-Shaped valleys, waterfalls, gorges
middle course
- gradient: gently sloping valley
- channel: wider & deeper
- vertical + lateral erosion, hydraulic action + attrition + abrasion
- medium load
- transportation: saltation
- medium velocity
- landforms: meanders
lower course
- gradient: flat
- channel: v wide & v deep
- valley: wide & open
- lateral erosion
- small, rounded load
- transportation: suspension
- slow flow
- landforms: ox-bow lakes, floodplains, levees
