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Geography GCSE CCEA UNIT 1 > Theme A: River Environments > Flashcards

Theme A: River Environments Flashcards

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1
Q

How is a meander formed?

A

As the river erodes laterally, to the right side and then to the left, it forms large bends, and then horse-shoe like loops called meanders.

On the inside of the meander the water is slower water causing there to be less energy. The meander deposits it load, forming deposition beaches and there is shallow water.

On the outside of a meander water flows faster around the bend. There is a lot of energy, causing there to be erosion of the bank, moving it back, and erosion of the bed, making it deeper

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2
Q

Why does the load change as you go downstream?

A

Particles knock against eachother and break each other up. Sharp angular edges get knocked off

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3
Q

What is a watershed?

A

The boundary between drainage basins - often a ridge of high land

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4
Q

What is a gradient?

A

The steepness of the slope the river flows down

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5
Q

What is saltation?

A

Medium sized rocks bouncing along the river bed

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6
Q

What is groundwater flow? (Transfer)

A

Water flowing slowly from the rock into the river

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7
Q

What is a tributary?

A

A stream flowing into a river

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8
Q

What is a leeve?

A

A built up bank on either side of the river where large particles are deposited in a flood

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9
Q

What is river discharge? (Output)

A

Water flowing away from the river

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10
Q

What happens to the discharge as you go downstream?

A

It increases

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11
Q

Why does the depth change as you go downstream?

A

The river erodes downwards as it travels - (vertical erosion)

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12
Q

What is the load of a river?

A

The material a river is carrying eg mud , sand , pebbles and rocks

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13
Q

What is abrasion/corrasion?

A

The scraping of the load the river is carrying against the rock

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14
Q

What happens to the depth as you go downstream?

A

It gets deeper

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15
Q

What is deposition?

A

The dropping of the rivers load

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16
Q

What is suspension?

A

The smallest particles being carried along the water

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17
Q

What is the discharge of a river?

A

The amount of water passing a point in a certain time

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18
Q

How do you get the depth of a river?

A

Measure from top of water to river bed. Take average across river

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19
Q

How is a waterfall formed?

A

A waterfall is formed when there is a layer of hard rock on top of a layer of soft rock.
The river easily erodes the soft rock, so there is a step in the river bed.
Overtime the step becomes deeper, forming a waterfall.
Hydraulic action and abrasion create a plunge pool at the bottom of the waterfall.
Erosion undercuts the hard rock, leaving it hanging over the plunge pool.
The overhanging hard rock falls into the plunge pool and the position of the waterfall move back.

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20
Q

Why does the discharge change as you go downstream?

A

More water flows into the river from each tributary. (Water flows faster with less friction)

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21
Q

What is interception?

A

Leaves and grass catching raindrops as they fall, and store them.

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22
Q

What is traction?

A

The river rolling the heaviest rocks along the river bed

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23
Q

When does deposition most likely happen?

A

When the river reaches the sea or a lake

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24
Q

What is tranportation?

A

Carrying along eroded material

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25
Q

What does sustainable mean?

A

Sustainable means you can keep doing it without causing problems to people or the environment.

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26
Q

What is a source?

A

The place where a river starts

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27
Q

Why does the width change as you go downstream?

A

The river erodes sideways as it travels - (Lateral Erosion)

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28
Q

What is Erosion?

A

The breaking up and removing of land

29
Q

What is the width of a river?

A

The distance of one side of the river to the other

30
Q

What is infiltration? (Transfer)

A

Water sinking into the soil

31
Q

What is soft engineering?

A

Strategies to control a natural hazard which blend into the natural environment. They attempt to reduce flooding without damaging the river for future generations, making it sustainable.

32
Q

When deposition happens, what material is dropped first?

A

The heaviest material is dropped first

33
Q

What is throughflow? (Transfer)

A

Water flowing through the soil

34
Q

What is hard engineering?

A

Strategies to control natural hazards which do not blend into the natural environment

35
Q

What is a drainage basin?

A

An area of land drained by a river and its tributarys

36
Q

What is Percolation? (Transfer)

A

Water sinking down through the rock

37
Q

What is surface run off/overland flow? (Transfer)

A

Water running over the surface of the ground

38
Q

What is a confluence?

A

Where two rivers meet

39
Q

Why does the gradient change as you go downstream?

A

The river does more downward erosion near the source and more sideways erosion near the mouth

40
Q

What is hydraulic action?

A

The force of the water hitting against something and eroding it

41
Q

What is a river mouth?

A

Where a river flows into the sea

42
Q

Why does deposition happen?

A

Happens when a river slows down - it has less energy so it has to drop its load

43
Q

What happens to the load as you go downstream?

A

Particles get smaller and more rounded

44
Q

What is corrosion/solution?

A

Water dissolving minerals in the rock

45
Q

What is a floodplain?

A

The flat land either side of a river that will be covered in water if the river bursts its banks

46
Q

What is attrition?

A

Pieces of rock hitting against eachother and breaking up

47
Q

What happens to the gradient as you go downstream?

A

Gets less steep

48
Q

What is Percipitation? (Input)

A

Any water falling from the sky, eg rain , snow , sleet or hail

49
Q

What is evapotranspiration? (Output)

A

Water turning into water vapour by air, and water turned into water vapour by plants through their leaves

50
Q

What happens to the width as you go downstream?

A

It gets wider

51
Q

How does soft and hard rock cause a flood?

A

Some soil/rock is impermeable which doesn’t allow water to infiltrate the soil or percolate the rock. If soil/rock becomes saturated or is impermeable the water becomes surface run off and it will run into the river channels quickly.

52
Q

How does land use cause a flood?

A

Drainage basin w/ little vegetation is more likely to flood due to there being no vegetation to intercept the water. Water will all reach soil, causing it to saturate quickly. This causes rain to not be able to infiltrate the soil, leading it to become surface run off and reach the river very quickly.

53
Q

How can global warming cause a flood?

A

The sea levels will rise which causes there to be an increase in the amount of water available for evaporation and precipitation in the water cycle. This means more water could be falling into drainage basins than usual.

54
Q

How can urban growth cause a flood?

A

Impermeable concrete roads and drain systems in urban areas cause the increase of delivery of water back into river channel causing flash flood to be more likely to happen. It causes a large amount of surface run off and river levels rise rapidly.

55
Q

What are the pros of a dam?

A

Control river discharge as they are built along course of river. Water held back by dam and released in controlled way.

Water usually stored in reservoir behind dam, can be used for hydroelectric power or for recreation purposes.

56
Q

What are the cons of a dam?

A

Expensive.
Land may be lost when river valley is flooded from a reservoir.
Destroys animal habitats

57
Q

What are the pro of flood walls?

A

Used to raise height of river bank where river might not burst its banks.

Can be permanent feature or incorporated into design of area.

Can be effective if maintained properly or built high enough.

58
Q

What are the cons of flood walls?

A

Can prevent access to river for leisure/economic purposes

Expensive

Doesn’t look natural.

59
Q

What are the pros of levees and embankments?

A

Artificial levees can be built along river banks so that if the river floods, water won’t be able to breach wall and cause damage.

60
Q

What are the cons of levees and embankments?

A

Expensive

Doesn’t look nice

Usually built in rural areas. They take up a lot of space and are cheaper than flood walls. But they can cause speed of water in river to be increased which will just move any potential flooding further downstream.

61
Q

What are the pros of straightening and deepening?

A

Can carry more water. Allows water to travel faster along course. This causes discharge to need to be higher for flood to occur.

Can alter the channel course of river, diverting floodwaters away from settlements.

62
Q

What are the cons of straightening and deepening?

A

Greater risk of flooding downstream as water is carried there faster.

63
Q

What are the pros of Washlands?

A

Are areas of land where water can wash into during flood. Usually found in the lower course of river. Sluice gates will open , allowing excess water to flow into the area and flood low value land.

Can prevent flooding of more expensive land downstream.

64
Q

What are the cons of washlands?

A

Hard to find acceptable areas: especially in areas where there are many cities

65
Q

What are the pros of land use zoning?

A

When planning for new settlement in area, this can be used to divide flood plain into areas which experience different levels of flood risk. Red areas will be places that are likely to experience a high degree of flood risk. Yellow areas will be places where flooding is possible but unlikely. Green areas will be places where it’s very unlikely any flooding will take place.

High risk areas can be used for pasture for cows. Lower risk areas can become play areas and house and important buildings like hospitals will be built much further back on land with lowest flood risk.

66
Q

What are the cons of land use zoning?

A

Effective when making decisions about building in an area but doesn’t work in areas that are already built up.

67
Q

What are the pros of afforestation?

A

Trees are planted near river. This means greater interception of rainwater and lower discharge, reducing the risk of flash flooding.

Tree roots absorb water from deep in soil. This will reduce flow of water to river from soil moisture. This will also help to reduce river discharge and the flood risk.

Cheap and enhances the environmental quality of drainage basin.

68
Q

What are the cons of afforestation?

A

Doesn’t prevent flooding , but, lowers its likelihood.

Takes time for trees to fully mature.

Geography GCSE CCEA UNIT 1 (9 decks)

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