Keywords Flashcards

1
Q

Abrasion

A

Rocks carried along by the river that wear down the river bed and banks

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2
Q

Attrition

A

Rocks being carried by the river smash together and break into smaller,smoother round particles

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3
Q

Cross Profile

A

The side to side cross-section of a river channel and/or valley.

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4
Q

Dam

A

A barrier (made on earth, concrete or stone) built across a valley to interrupt river flow and create a man made lake (reservoir) which stores water and controls the discharge of the river.

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5
Q

Discharge

A

The quantity of water that passes a given point on a stream or river-bank within a given period of time.

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6
Q

Embankments

A

Raised banks constructed along the river; they effectively make the river deeper so it can hold more wat
They are expensive and do not look natural but they do protect the land around them.

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7
Q

Estuary

A

The tidal mouth of a river where it meets the sea; wide banks of deposited mud are exposed at low tide.

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8
Q

Flood

A

Occurs when river discharge exceeds river channel capacity and water spills out of the channel onto the floodplain and other areas.

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9
Q

Floodplain

A

The relatively flat area forming the valley floor on either side of a river channel, which is sometimes flooded.

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10
Q

Flood Relief Channel

A

Building new artificial channels which are used when a river is close to maximum discharge. They take the pressure off the main channels when floods are likely, therefore reducing flood risk.

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11
Q

Floodplain Zoning

A

This attempts to organise the flood defences in such a way that land that is near the river and often floor not built on. This could be used for pastoral farming, playing fields etc. The areas that rarely get flooded would therefore be used for houses, transport and industry.

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12
Q

Flood Risk

A

The predicted frequency of floods in an area

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13
Q

Flood Warning

A

Providing reliable advance information about possible flooding. Flood warning systems give people time remove possessions and evacuate areas.

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14
Q

Fluvial Processes

A

Processes relating to erosion, transport and deposition by a river

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15
Q

Gorge

A

A narrow, steep sided valley, often formed as a waterfall retreats upstream

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16
Q

Hard Engineering

A

Involves the building of entirely artificial structures using varous upstream uch as rock, concrete and steel to reduce, disrupt or stop the impact of river processes.

17
Q

Hydraulic Action

A

The force of the river against banks can cause air to be trapped in cracks and crevices.The pressure weakens the banks and gradually wears it away.

18
Q

Hydrograph

A

A graph which shows the discharge of a river, related to rainfall, over a period of time.

19
Q

Interlocking Spurs

A

A series of ridges projecting out on alternate sides of a valley and around which a river winds its course.

20
Q

Lateral Erosion

A

Sideways erosion by a river on the outside of a meander channel. It eventually leads to the widening of the valley and contributes to the formation of the flood plain.

21
Q

Levees

A

Embankment of sediment along the bank of a river. It may be formed naturally by regular flooding or be
built up by people to protect the area against flooding.

22
Q

Long Profile

A

The gradient of a river, from its source to its mouth

23
Q

Meander

A

A pronounced bend in a river.

24
Q

Oxbow Lake

A

An arc-shaped lake which has been cut off from a meandering fiver.

25
Q

Precipitation

A

Moisture falling from the atrosphere - as rain, hail, sleet or snow

26
Q

Saltation

A

Particles bouncing down the river bed.

27
Q

Soft Engineering

A

Involves the use of the natural environment surrounding a river, using schemes that work with the river’s natural processes. Soft engineering is usually much cheaper and offers a more sustainable option as it does not interfere directly with the river’s flow.

28
Q

Solution

A

Soluble particles are dissolved into the river.

29
Q

Suspension

A

Fine solid material held in the water while the water is moving.

30
Q

Traction

A

The rolling of boulders and pebbles along the river bed.

31
Q

Vertical Erosion

A

Downward erosion of a river bed.

32
Q

Waterfall

A

Sudden descent of a river or stream over a vertical or very steep slope in its bed. It often forms where the river meets a band of softer rock after flowing over an area of more resistant material.