Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

GCSE - Geography > ✅🟢Rivers Landscapes in the UK > Flashcards

✅🟢Rivers Landscapes in the UK Flashcards

1
Q

Source meaning

A

The start of a river, often a spring

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Drainage basin meaning

A

Area of land drained by a river and its tributaries

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Tributary meaning

A

A small stream that joins a larger river

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Confluence meaning

A

Where 2 rivers join

Eg. A tributary joining a larger river

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Watershed meaning

A

The edge of a river basin

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Mouth of a river meaning

A

End of a river where it joins the sea

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What’s an estuary?

A

Transitional area between river and sea

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Delta meaning

A

Material laid down in the mouth of a river

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Meander meaning

A

River course bends

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Flood plain meaning

A

Flat area near the mouth of a river where depositing dominates

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

How does the shape of the river + valley change as the river flows downstream?

A

Source - usually an upland area + flows over steep slopes with uneven surfaces.

It flows over a series of water falls.

As a river flows down steep slopes, the water performs vertical erosion. Forming V-shaped valleys.

As the river flows towards the mouth the rivers gradient becomes less steep, it eventually flows over flat land as it approaches the sea.

The load of the river also changes as it’s transported + eroded along the rivers profile.

The discharge increases as river approaches the sea

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Whats the altitude in relation to sea level in the:
Upper course
Lower course

A

Altitude - source of potential energy stored / height above sea level

Upper course : High
Lower course : Low

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Whats the weight / mass of the water in the:
Upper course
Lower course

A

Volume of water increases as river flows

Upper course : Low
Lower course : High

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Whats the steepness of the long profile in the:
Upper course
Lower course

A

The gradient gets less steep as the river flows

Upper course : Steep
Lower course : Gentle

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Whats the velocity in the:
Upper course
Lower course

A

The velocity increases as the river flows

Upper course : Low
Lower course : High

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What are channel processes and what do they all

depend on?

A

The amount of energy available

Channel processes - erosion / transportation/ deposition

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What’s erosion?

A

Wearing away and removal of soil + rock

Hydraulic action
Abrasion
Solution
Attrition

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What’s Difference between lateral and vertical erosion?

A

Vertical :

  • downwards
  • steep v-shaped valley
  • river narrow + shallow
  • cutting down into the river bed

Lateral:

  • side to side erosion (across valley)
  • flat valley floor
  • deeper + wider channel
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Describe hydraulic action + what type of erosion is it?

A

Sheer force of the moving water against the banks can cause air to be trapped in the cracks and crevices, the pressure weakens the banks and it gradually wears away.

  • vertical erosion
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Describe abrasion + what type of erosion is it?

A

Rocks carried along be river scraps + scour + rub along the river bed and banks and wear down the river like sandpaper.

  • lateral erosion
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Describe solution + what type of erosion is it?

A

Minerals in the rocks are dissolved by weak acids in the river water. Particularly in ricks like chalk+limestone, soluble particles are dissolved into the water.

  • lateral erosion
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What is attrition?

A

Rocks being carried by the river s,ash together + break into smaller, smoother and rounded particles.

23
Q

Compare the upper + lower course

A

Uppercourse :
Shallow + narrow channel
High GPE = height above sea level - high
Volume of water + velocity + kinetic energy = low
Loads of friction as water volume is low = higher % of water touches the valley

Lowercorise:
Board + deep river channel
Low GPE = height above sea level = low
Volume of water + velocity + kinetic energy = high
Less friction as water volume is high = lower % of water touches the valley

GPE = gravitational potential energy

24
Q

What’s transportation?

A

The movement of particles in the river

  • solution
  • suspension
  • saltation
  • traction
25
What’s traction?
Large Boulders and rocks being rolled along the river bed
26
What’s solution?
Minerals dissolved in water eg. Calcium carbonate found in limestone and chalk dissolves in a weak acid like rainfall witch fills rovers. This is called solute load
27
What’s suspension?
Fine and light material is help up by floating in the water eg. Alluvium. This is called suspended load
28
What’s salutation?
Small pebbles and stones are bounces along | Lifter and dropped depending on the velocity
29
What do deposition + transportation rely on?
Energy: - how steep the gradient is - water volume - velocity of the water
30
What’s deposition + why does it occur
Occurs when the velocity decrease and doesn’t have the energy to transport material It’s the laying down of sediment carried by wind, flowing water, the sea or ice
31
Why are larger rocks deposited in the upper course?
Because there’s the least amount of energy, and it’s unable to carry large rocks
32
When will finer sediment be deposited?
Near the lower course as the river ends, when the sea meets the river it slows the velocity of the river as the water is pushing in a different direction causing decrease in velocity causing deposition of materials.
33
Why does so much deposition occur at the mouth of the river
Because the river slows down as it has a loss of energy due to the : - Incoming tide which opposed the direction of the flow of the river - it has a gentle gradient - at sea level
34
What is ,want by the long profile of the river?
Change in gradient of a river from source to mouth
35
Landforms at the 3 stages of the river
Source / upper course: - v-snapped valleys - waterfalls Middle reaches: - meanders Mouth / lower course: - deltas - salt marshes Landforms of deposition (mouth has the most deposition): - levees - elongated ridge, prevents flooding by raising river banks
36
What are waterfalls a result of?
Erosion
37
How are waterfalls formed
Occurs When a band of hard rock (eg. Granite) overlies a soft rock (eg. Sandstone). Erosion processes such as hydraulic action (force of water) and abrasion (where river rubs stones that are being transported against the bed - eroding it down) dominate. The softer rock erodes faster than the hard rock and gradually washed downstream, creating a plunge pool where water is swilled around, corrosion occurs deepening it further. Overtime softer rocks eroded further creating an overhand of hard rock, Thsi overhand = unstable as its unsupported. It eventually collapses and waterfall retreats. This creates gorges which are steep sided river valleys. This process repeats
38
What’s a gorge?
Narrow deep + steep sided valley Formed by waterfall retreats
39
What’s a meander a result of?
Erosion + deposition
40
What can meanders form?
Oxbow lakes
41
How do meanders form
As the river erodes laterally it forms large bends and them horseshoe like loops called meanders. The formation of meanders is due to 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. This will form a river cliff. On the inside of the bend, where the river flow is slower, material is deposited, as there is more friction. This will form a slip-off slope. Water flows faster on the outside of the bend, where it’s deeper and there’s less friction, causing greater erosion which depends channel - this creates a steep sided river bank. Overtime the horseshoe becomes tighter until it becomes straight, creating oxbow lakes
42
Describe what flood warnings + preparations are and how it works
Signals sent out saying how severe the flood will be Flood watch / flood warning / severe flood warning Warnings are sent from satellites / social media to wan people what type of flooding there will be / when the flooding will be
43
Positives of flood warnings + preperations
Protects property to a certain point Cheap Makes people feel secure People are in control of what they do
44
Negatives of flood warnings + preparations
Not everyone has social media Based on forecast - not always accurate, situations change fast Doesn’t take direct action / people don’t always listen / doesn’t prevent flooding House values drop
45
Describe what flood plain zoning is + how it works
Zoning the land for different uses Restricts different land uses to different locations (close to river = farmland / woodland, far from river = high value property and land uses / housing) Planning land use to minimise flood impacts
46
Positives of flood plain zoning
Restricting impermeable surfaces Low cosy Environmental benefit = promoting green space
47
Negatives of floodplain zoning
Doesn’t stop flooding | Cant move building in areas which have been built on / difficult to implement to places which have been built on
48
Describe how planting trees as a management strategy for flooding is positive
Soaks up water / Slows water flow / Intercepts water Cheap Environmentally friendly + promotes woodland + wildlife Meeting environmental charter / rules (carbon sink)
49
Describe how planting trees as a management strategy for flooding is negative
Loss of farmland Could take a long time Might note fit in with the environment around it (use of different trees)
50
What’s river restoration + describe how it works
Where a course of the river has been artificially changed, can restore it to its original course. River restoration uses the natural processes and features of a river such as meanders + wetlands to slow down river flow + reduce likelihood of major flooding downstream
51
What’s soft engineering?
where the natural environment is used to help reduce coastal erosion and river flooding
52
River restoration positives
``` Prevents flooding downstream Improve ecology + biodiversity - by reducing floods Little / no maintenance Low cost solution Increases capacity of river ```
53
River restoration negatives
Can look intrusive + out of place | Can be quite loud to build - intrusive to those around while building

GCSE - Geography (9 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions