Water on the Land Flashcards

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1
Q

What are the processes of erosion?

A

CASH:

  • Corrasion/Abrasion
    • The rivers load rubbing against the bed and the banks of the river
  • Attrition
    • The river’s load hitting against itself, breaking up into smaller pieces
  • Solution
    • Rock minerals dissolving into the water
  • Hydraulic Action
    • The sheer force of the water on the bed and the banks of the river
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2
Q

What are the processes of transport?

A

TSSS:

  • Traction
    • Large boulders roll along the river bed (most energy)
  • Saltation
    • Smaller pebbles bounce along the river bed
  • Suspension
    • Finer sand and silt are carried along in the flow of the river
  • Solution
    • Minerals dissolved in the river, cannot be seen (least energy)
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3
Q

When do rivers deposit materials?

A

When its volume or its speed decreases

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4
Q

What is material deposited by a river called?

A

Alluvium

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5
Q

What are the features of the upper course? (5)

A
  • Greatest potential enery
  • Vertical erosion
  • V shaped valley - narrow and steep
  • Interlocking spurs
  • Not very habitable
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6
Q

What are the features of the middle and lower course? (4)

A
  • Less potential energy
  • Lateral erosion
  • Wide and flat valley
  • More habitable
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7
Q

What are the landforms of the upper course? (2)

A
  • Waterfalls
  • Gorges
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8
Q

How are waterfalls and gorges formed?

A
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9
Q

What processes of erosion are present in the formation of a waterfall?

A
  • Hydraulic action erodes the less resistant rock
  • Abrasion deepens the plunge pool
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10
Q

What are the landforms of the middle and lower course? (6)

A
  • Meanders
  • Ox-bow lakes
  • Floodplains
  • Levées
  • Estuaries
  • Deltas
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11
Q

How are slip-off slopes and river cliffs formed?

A

Slip-off slopes:

  • The water has the least energy on the inside of a meander
  • Sand and shingle are deposited, forming a slip-off slope

River cliffs:

  • The water has the most energy on the outside of a meander
  • The bank is eroded by abrasion causing a steep river cliff to form
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12
Q

How are ox-bow lakes formed?

A
  • Erosion of the outside bend means the neck of a meander becomes narrower over time
  • Eventually the neck is broken causing a straight channel
  • Alluvium is deposited which seals of the old meander
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13
Q

What is a floodplain?

A

The wide flat area of land either side of the river in its lower course. When a river floods, it deposits its load as alluvium. Over many thousands of years, the alluvium builds up

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14
Q

How are levées formed?

A

When a river floods, the heaviest material is deposited closest to the river. This material builds up over many floods to build up natural walls on either side of the river

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15
Q

What is the river discharge?

A

The volume of water passing a point in the river at a particular time

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16
Q

What are the factors affecting river discharge? (6)

A
  • Precipitation
  • Previous weather conditions
  • Relief (height and gradient)
  • Temperature
  • Rock type (permeable or impermeable)
  • Land use
17
Q

When does flooding occur?

A

When the discharge of a river is so great that it can no longer be contained in channel so it overtops its banks

18
Q

What are the physical causes of flooding?

A
  • Precipitation (amount, duration)
  • Relief of the land (height and gradient)
  • Vegetation
  • Soil and rock type (permeable or impermeable)
  • Temperature (evaporation)
19
Q

Why does snowfall increase risk of flooding?

A

When the temperatures rise, all of the snow melts. This puts many days worth of precipitation into the rivers at once. Also the ground is frozen so it’s impermeable

20
Q

What are the human causes of flooding?

A
  • Urbanisation (impermeable surfaces
  • Deforestation (reduces interception of rainfall)
  • Increase in population density (more people are in flood risk areas)
21
Q

What is a?

A

Peak rainfall

22
Q

What is b?

A

Peak discharge

23
Q

What is c?

A

Rising limb

24
Q

What is d?

A

Falling limb

25
Q

What is e?

A

The lag time

26
Q

How is lag time calculated?

A

The time between the peak rainfall and the peak discharge

27
Q

What is a hard management strategy?

A
  • Construction techniques (entirely artificial structures)
  • Holds water back or keeps it out
  • Reduces or stops the impact of river processes
28
Q

What is a soft management strategy?

A
  • Natural ways to reduce impact of flooding
  • More sustainable approach
  • Doesn’t change environment much
  • Focuses on preparation instead of intervention
29
Q

Give some examples of hard management strategies

A
  • Dam and reservoir (controls and stores water, HEP)
  • Straightening and dredging (deepening) rivers (speed up flow, can cause problems downstream)
  • Flood walls (river can store more water)
  • Artificial levées (river can store more water)
30
Q

Give some examples of soft management strategies

A
  • Floodplain zoning
  • Afforestation (greater interception)
  • Flood warning system (Environment Agency)
  • Reed beds (slow down flood water)
31
Q

What are the advantages and disadvantages of hard management strategies?

A

Advantages:

  • Greatest protection
  • Can also get HEP from dams

Disadvantages:

  • Expensive to build and maintain
  • Environmental impacts
32
Q

What are the advantages and disadvantages of soft management strategies?

A

Advantages:

  • Minimal environmental impact
  • Cheap

Disadvantages:

  • Not as good at protecting
33
Q

What is a water surplus and where is it in the UK?

A

When there is lots of water and not many people who need water. North West of the UK

34
Q

What is a water deficit and where is it in the UK?

A

When there isn’t enough water to provide for the people. South West of the UK