The River Severn

Question 1

How long is the river?

Answer 1

354km

Question 2

Where is the river estuary?

Answer 2

Bristol Channel

Question 3

What is the Severn’s (estuary) tidal range?

Answer 3

15 metres, one of the highest in the world

Question 4

How wide is the Severn estuary?

Answer 4

3.2 km (at the old Severn Bridge Crossing)

Question 5

What is an estuary?

Answer 5

The tidal part of a river where freshwater from the river merges with saltwater from the sea.

Question 6

The Severn estuary receives many tidal bores, how far do some of these bores travel?

Answer 6

As far as Gloucester

Question 7

How often do large tidal bores occur here?

Answer 7

Roughly 25 days a year

Question 8

What is the typical speed of a tidal bore?

Answer 8

8-24 km/h

Question 9

What are tidal bores?

Answer 9

Huge waves which funnel up the river.

Question 10

What is the main rock type present in the upper course?

Answer 10

Impermeable rock

Question 11

In the upper course there has been lots of vertical erosion, what has this formed?

Answer 11

V-Shaped Valley

Question 12

What river feature is present multiple times in the upper course

Answer 12

Waterfalls

Question 13

In the middle course there has been lots of lateral erosion, what has this formed?

Answer 13

Meanders

Question 14

Name a location near the middle course and a feature:

Answer 14

Kempsey has lots of meanders.

Question 15

In the lower course there are many levees, what caused these?

Answer 15

Flooding

Question 16

What lower course features develop wildlife?

Answer 16

sandbanks (and mudflats)