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Geography > Rivers in the UK > Flashcards

Rivers in the UK Flashcards

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1
Q

What does relief mean?

A

A term to describe the physical features of a landscape;
The height above sea level
Shapes of the landscape
Steepness of slopes

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2
Q

What does landscape mean?

A

An area of the Earths surface that has similar characteristics that have been shaped by geology, biology and climate

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3
Q

Describe the distribution of the upland and lowland areas of the Uk

A

North and west of the Uk is generally more mountainous with upland areas such as Grampian Mountains. The east is generally flatter eg East Anglia

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4
Q

Describe the pattern of rivers in the UK

A

The uk had dense networks of over 1500 rivers eg. Severn is the longest river flowing from upland areas to the sea

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5
Q

What are the main reasons for the patterns of relief on the Uk map?

A

Where the biggest mountains are, the rock is older and harder so hasn’t eroded. Where the flatter land is, the rock is newer and softer so has eroded

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6
Q

What is a Long profile of a river?

A

The gradient of the river from source to mouth. It is not always a smooth curve and can have: steep slopes, shallow areas and breaks in the slopes

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7
Q

What is the cross profile of a river?

A

Shows the shape of the valley from one side to another

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8
Q

What is the shape of the long profile of a river?

A

Overall it is concave, steep in the upper course and flatter in the lower and middle courses as you get closer to the mouth

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9
Q

Why does the long profile change?

A

It starts in the upland areas like hills and mountains and ends in the lowland areas where it is flatter. This is because of the influence of gravity

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10
Q

What are the properties of the Upper Course cross profile?

A

Narrow V shaped valley
Steep valley sides

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11
Q

What are the properties of the Middle Course cross profile?

A

Wide U shaped valley
Gentle valley sides

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12
Q

What are the properties of the Lower Course cross profile?

A

Wide valleys + flat

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13
Q

What are the typical landforms of the Upper Course?

A

Interlocking spurs
Waterfalls
Rapids

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14
Q

What are the typical landforms of the Middle Course?

A

Meanders
Ox-bow lakes

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15
Q

What are the typical landforms of the Lower Course?

A

Meanders
Flood plains
Estuary

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16
Q

What is the bottom of a river called?

A

The bed

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17
Q

What slows the flow of the river in each course?

A

Upper: big boulders
Middle: small and rounded rocks
Lower: suspended sediment

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18
Q

Does the river get more or less efficient as you go downstream?

A

More efficient

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19
Q

What is hydraulic action?

A

Where the sheer force of the water hitting the banks forces water into the cracks causing air to compress into the cracks. Leads to vertical and lateral erosion

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20
Q

What is abrasion?

A

When small boulders and stones scratch against eachother during transportation to create smaller, smoother and rounder rocks. Leads to lateral erosion

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21
Q

What is solution?

A

When the rocks such as limestone and chalk dissolve in the water. Water running over these rocks will dissolve it

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22
Q

What is attrition?

A

When stones in the river load smash against eachother during transportation to create smaller and smoother rocks

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23
Q

What controls the amount of erosion a river can do?

A

The velocity of it
The load of the river
The acidity of the water

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24
Q

What are the 4 forms of erosion?

A

Hydraulic action
Abrasion
Attrition
Solution

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25
Q

What are the 4 forms of transportation?

A

Traction
Suspension
Saltation
Solution

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26
Q

What is traction?

A

When large boulders and rocks are rolled along the river bed

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27
Q

What is suspension?

A

When light material is carried along by the river

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28
Q

What is saltation?

A

When small pebbles and stones are bounced along the river bed

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29
Q

What is deposition?

A

The process of a river dropping its sediment/ load. The bigger the load particle, the more velocity is required to keep the load moving. Large boulders are deposited first and small particles are deposited last

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30
Q

Why might a river lose energy/ velocity?

A

When it hits the inside bend of a meander
At the mouth because it slows when meeting the ocean
When it floods
When objects fall into it

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31
Q

What is mass movement?

A

The down-slope movement of material under gravity due to the river eroding the base of the valley.
More likely to occur when weathering processes contribute
Mass movement contributed to a rivers load which increases erosion and deposition

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32
Q

What is weathering?

A

The breakdown of a rock in its same position due to mechanical, chemical or biological processes. It occurs along the river valley and channel sides

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33
Q

What is mechanical weathering and give an example?

A

The breakdown of rock with no changes to its chemical composition e.g Freeze-thaw

34
Q

What is chemical weathering and give an example?

A

The breakdown of a rock due to changes in its chemical composition e.g. rust

35
Q

What is biological weathering and give an example?

A

The breakdown of a rock due to living things e.g Plant roots breaking the rock

36
Q

What are interlocking spurs?

A

When a river winds its way around obstacles of hard rock rather than eroding it because there is not enough energy to do so. This forms a winding, alternating pattern

37
Q

What are rapids?

A

When a river runs over alternating layers of hard and soft rock to form a downslope of uneven ground and turbulence
The fast moving water increases erosion rates to form a steep gradient

38
Q

How are waterfalls formed?

A

The weak rock is eroded quickly which allows the fast moving water to form a step and eventually an overhang when eroded. Underneath this, a plunge pool is formed and rubble which fell from the erosion sit at the bottom

39
Q

How do meanders form?

A

They start for form when friction and the Coriolis effect with the channel banks and bed causes turbulence with the water flow. This results in the spiral flow of water called ‘helicoidal flow’

40
Q

How does erosion cause meanders?

A

The river erodes laterally which forms large bends and horseshoe like loops and meanders

41
Q

What processes cause meanders?

A

Erosion and deposition which causes the meanders to migrate downstream and sideways

42
Q

How are oxbow lakes formed?

A

Overtime, meanders become more sinuous so the neck of the meander becomes narrower, causing the river to break through the neck of the meander leading to floods from high discharge and energy. The river now follows a straight path and the loop is cut off and eventually dries out forming a meander scar

43
Q

what are the features of the lower course of a river?

A

floodplains, levees and estuaries

44
Q

what are flood planes and how are they formed?

A

they are areas of land around a river that is covered in floods. they are formed as a meander migrate across the valley. They also build up a silt and aluminium layer.

45
Q

what are the physical factors affecting flood risk?

A

precipitation, relief, geology and natural vegetation

46
Q

What are the human factors affecting flood risk?

A

New infrastructure, new housing disappearing gardens, forestry,
farming and disappearing fields

47
Q

what is a hydrograph?

A

shows the rivers discharge in response to a precipitation event

48
Q

what is the lag time?

A

The difference between peak rainfall and peak discharge

49
Q

what are the hydrological factors of a flood?

A

size of drainage basin, shape of drainage basin, relief, length of precipitation event, intensity of precipitation, permeability of rock, vegetation, soil texture and structure, urbanisation, and deforestation

50
Q

What are some hard engineering examples of flood management?

A

Embankments(levees), Flood relief channels, Channel straightening, Dams

51
Q

What are the benefits of embankments?

A

Cheap
Provide habitats
Increases capacity of the channel

52
Q

What are the disadvantages of embankments?

A

prone to erosion
displaces animals
high maintenance cost

53
Q

What are embankments?

A

High banks built on riverbanks to stop water spreading into areas where it could cause problems such as housing

54
Q

what are flood relief channels?

A

they are artificial channels that run alongside the river to act as an overflow for excess water

55
Q

what are the benefits of flood relief channels?

A

removed flood risk from certain areas cheaper insurance cost nearby
new habitats

56
Q

what are the disadvantages of flood relief channels?

A

Displacement of people
Expensive to build and maintain
disturbs habitats

57
Q

What is channel straightening?

A

meanderers are removed to create a wider, deeper, straighter river channel which is more efficient so can flow faster

58
Q

What are the benefits of channel straightening?

A

reduces flood risk
Homeowners gain confidence to invest
reduces the river length

59
Q

What are the disadvantages of channel straightening?

A

excess sediment causes flooding
Expensive
High maintenance
Water changes endanger animals
ugly

60
Q

what are dams?

A

large concrete barriers built across the river valley to create an artificial lake which stores water

61
Q

what are the benefits of dams?

A

Boost tourism
More forestry
Provides hydroelectric power
Highly effective
source of drinking water

62
Q

What are the disadvantages of dams?

A

The flooding of a valley displaces people
expensive
interferes with migration paths of fish

63
Q

What is Floodplain zoning

A

Planning the land use on a floodplain to minimise the impact of a flood

64
Q

advantages of floodplain zoning

A

Less impermeable surfaces
Cheap
Flood plains provide green space

65
Q

disadvantages of floodplain zoning

A

Low impact
difficult to get planning permission
Destroys habitats

66
Q

What is Afforestation

A

Planting trees to help the amount of natural interception

67
Q

Advantages of afforestation

A

Reduced water flowing downstream
More CO(2) absorbed

68
Q

Disadvantages of afforestation

A

Loss of grazing land
Changes country land and habitats

69
Q

What are flood warnings

A

Warnings are provided to the public before a flood

70
Q

Advantages of flood warnings

A

People can protect belongings
Ensures people’s safety

71
Q

Disadvantages of flood warnings

A

only effective if people listen and take action
Doesn’t help stop flooding

72
Q

What is river restoration

A

Removing hard engineering to help the river to return to a natural state

73
Q

Advantages of river restoration

A

More biodiversity
Increased water storage areas

74
Q

Disadvantages of river restoration

A

May flood near river
Expensive

75
Q

What is an example of flood management in the UK

A

Boscastle August 2004

76
Q

Physical causes of the boscastle flood

A

Ground was saturated
8inch rain in 8 hours
Drainage basin was steep and impermeable
Boscastle is at the confluence of 3 rivers
2 billion litres of water in valley

77
Q

human causes of boscastle flooding

A

Narrow bridges acted as dams
Removal of trees in upper course
Trees over growing the river channel and washed into village

78
Q

What were the impacts of the boscastle flood

A

0 deaths
58 buildings flooded and 4 destroyed
115 cars washed away
~£50 million cost
1850 tonnes of debris left

79
Q

What were the hard engineering flood managements of Boscastle

A

widened and deepened the channel
removed low bridges and replacing with taller ones
Raised the car park and used a permeable surface

80
Q

Soft engineering flood management of Boscastle

A

Tree management - dead trees removed
Encouraged land owners to manage their vegetation and plant new trees

81
Q

How are levees formed?

A

When the river repeatedly floods and loses energy so deposits its sediment onto floodplains. This forms high banks which form as a flood protection

Geography (7 decks)

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