Water On The Land Flashcards
What is the channel of a river?
The part of the river valley occupied by the water itself
What is hydraulic action?
The power of the volume of water moving in the river
Describe the erosion process of ‘abrasion’
This occurs when larger load carried by the river hits the bed and banks, causing bits to break off
Describe the erosion process of ‘attrition’
This occurs when the load carried by the river knocks into other parts of the load, so bits break off and make the material smaller
Describe the erosion process of ‘solution’
The dissolving of certain types of rock such as chalk and limestone by rainwater. This is a means of transportation as well as erosion
What is the load of a river?
Material of any size carried by the river
Describe the transportation process of ‘traction’
This is the rolling along the river bed of the largest rocks and boulders
Describe the transportation process of ‘saltation’
This is the bouncing movement of small stones and grains of sand along the river bed
Describe the transportation process of ‘suspension’
This is when small material is carried within the river
What is the long profile of a river?
A line representing the course of the river from its source to its mouth and the changes in height along its course
What is the cross profile of a river?
A line that represents what it would be like to walk from the one side of a valley, across the channel and up the other side
What is a waterfall?
The sudden, and often vertical, drop of a river along its course
What is a gorge?
A narrow, steep-sided valley
What is a meander?
A bend or curve in the river channel
What is an oxbow lake?
A horseshoe or semi-circular area that represents the former course of a meander. Oxbow lakes are cut off from a supply of water and so will eventually become dry
