Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Geography > Geomorphology - Rivers > Flashcards

Geomorphology - Rivers Flashcards

1
Q

Abrasion

A

Particles of sand and silt that are carried by the river scratch and wear away the bed and sides of the channel.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Abstraction

A

Process whereby the watershed becomes lower and its position shifts.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Aerated zone

A

Part of the crust above the water table where there are open air spaces.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Alluvium

A

Fertile silt deposited by a river.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Attrition

A

Small particles bump against one another and become smaller, rounder and smoother.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Antecedent drainage pattern

A

After the river formed, folding and faulting occurred, but the river maintained its pattern, cutting a gorge/poort/gap through the land that has been uplifted.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Baseflow

A

Groundwater that seeps into a river.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Braided streams

A

Rivers that have multiple channels and islands of alluvial sediment in between those channels.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Captive stream

A

Less energetic river that was captured by the captor.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Captor stream

A

More energetic river that eroded through the watershed and captured another river.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Catchment area

A

The area that feeds water into a river system.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Channel flow

A

Water flowing in a river channel.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Confluence

A

Point where one river in the network joins another.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Corrosion

A

Acids in the water can dissolve the rock particles.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Delta

A

Depositional feature that forms when a river enters the sea or a still body of water.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Direct runoff

A

Water flowing over Earth in river channels.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Discharge

A

Amount of water flowing in a river channel past a point in a given time.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Drainage basin

A

An area drained by a river and its tributaries.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Drainage density

A

The total length of all the streams and rivers in a drainage basin (km) divided by the total area of the drainage basin (km2).

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Elbow of capture

A

Point where capture occurred; the captive changes direction and flows into the captor.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Entrenched or incised meanders

A

A meander that has cut (vertically) deep into the crust.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Episodic rivers

A

Rivers that hardly ever flow because they are in low rainfall areas and the water table is always below the river bed.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Erosion

A

The wearing away and removal of weathered rock material from the river channel.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Exotic rivers

A

Rivers found in low rainfall areas but flow all year because they are fed by tributaries in high rainfall areas.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

Flood plain

A

Flat valley floor.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

Gorge

A

Deep-steep sided valley.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

Graded river

A

A river that has just enough energy to carry its load; neither erosion nor deposition is taking place resulting in a smooth, concave longitudinal profile.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

Groundwater

A

Underground water.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

Ground water flow

A

Water flowing through underground rocks.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

Headward erosion

A

A river lengthens itself by cutting back towards its source.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

Hydraulic action

A

The force of water hitting the sides and the bed of the river will break pieces off.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

Impermeable rock

A

Rock which does not allow water to pass through it.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

Indirect runoff

A

Water feeding into rivers through baseflow.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

Ingrown meanders

A

A meander that cuts sideways into the bank so that there is slight overhang above the stream.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

Interfluves

A

Ridges of high ground between individual channels.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
36
Q

Knickpoint

A

Sharp change in gradient along the course of the river located at the old sea level after isostatic uplift or a drop in sea level has occurred.

37
Q

Knickpoint waterfall

A

A waterfall created by a sharp change in gradient.

38
Q

Lag time

A

The period between maximum precipitation and peak discharge.

39
Q

Laminar flow

A

Water flowing smoothly in sheets with no vertical mixing.

40
Q

Lateral erosion

A

Horizontal erosion (of the sides) of a river channel making it wider.

41
Q

Load

A

Broken rock particles and other materials carried by a river.

42
Q

Levees

A

Raised banks of a river.

43
Q

Lonitudinal profile

A

A visual representation of the gradient down which a river flows.

44
Q

Meanders

A

Bends in a river channel.

45
Q

Meander scars

A

Dried up ox-bow lakes.

46
Q

Misfit / beheaded stream

A

Part of the river that has lost its headwaters.

47
Q

Mouth

A

Point at which the river flows into the sea.

48
Q

Non-porous rock

A

Rock that does not have pore spaces, therefore water cannot seep into the rock.

49
Q

Overgraded rivers

A

Rivers that have excess energy and therefore erode their channels.

50
Q

Oxbow lakes

A

A meander that is cut off when the river takes a new course across the neck of a meander loop.

51
Q

Periodic rivers/ non-perennial

A

Rivers that only flow during the rainy season when the water table is higher.

52
Q

Permanent base level / ultimate base level

A

Sea level; the lowest level to which a river will erode the land.

53
Q

Permanent rivers / perennial

A

Rivers that flow all year because the river bed is deeper than the water table all year.

54
Q

Permeable rocks

A

Rocks that allow water to pass through it.

55
Q

Porous

A

A rock which has pore spaces into which water can seep.

56
Q

Rapids

A

A resistant layer of rock causes slight changes in gradient and turbulent flow with in a river.

57
Q

Rejuvenated river

A

A river receives additional energy and begins to erode vertically.

58
Q

Riparian zone

A

Area alongside a river.

59
Q

River capture

A

A process of one river capturing the water from another stream.

60
Q

River cliff

A

Steep river bank, due to erosion, on the outside bend of a meander.

61
Q

River network / system

A

A river and all its the tributaries that flow into it.

62
Q

River terraces

A

Steps that show the level of the valley floor prior to rejuvenation.

63
Q

Saltation

A

Smaller rocks and stones are bounced along the river bed.

64
Q

Saturated zone

A

Part of the crust where all air spaces are filled with groundwater.

65
Q

Sheet flow

A

Water flowing downslope in thin sheets.

66
Q

Slip-off-slope

A

Gentle river bank, due to deposition, on the inside bend of a meander.

67
Q

Source

A

Place where a river begins.

68
Q

Spurs

A

Ridges of high ground between individual channels.

69
Q

Strata

A

Rock layers.

70
Q

Stream order

A

The category of a stream in a network determined by the order of the streams flowing into it.

71
Q

Superimposed drainage pattern

A

A river develops a pattern on a surface that has eroded over time, so now the river is flowing on the older rocks or structures that have been uncovered.

72
Q

Surface runoff

A

Rainwater flowing over the surface.

73
Q

Suspension

A

Silt and very small particles are carried within the flow of the water.

74
Q

Temporary base level

A

Changes in the gradient along a course of a river where vertical erosion of the river is slowed.

75
Q

Throughflow

A

Water flowing through the soil.

76
Q

Traction

A

Boulders and large rocks are pushed and rolled along a river bed.

77
Q

Transpiration

A

Water loss from plants through pores in their leaves.

78
Q

Tributaries

A

Individual river channels forming the stream network.

79
Q

Turbulent flow

A

Water flowing in a bubbling motion; with lots of vertical movement.

80
Q

Undercutting

A

The force of water erodes the base of the banks creating a notch and eventually causing the bank to collapse.

81
Q

Undergraded rivers

A

Rivers that do not have enough energy to flow and to transport their load; they will deposit some of their load.

82
Q

Valley within a valley

A

Rejuvenated river begins to erode a new valley within the old one.

83
Q

Velocity

A

Speed of a river.

84
Q

Vertical erosion

A

Erosion downwards, cutting deeper into the landscape.

85
Q

Waterfalls

A

A place where water flows over a vertical drop in the course of a river.

86
Q

Watershed

A

High ground separating one drainage basin from the adjacent drainage basin.

87
Q

Water table

A

The upper surface of the groundwater.

88
Q

Wind gap

A

The part of the original river valley, between the elbow and misfit, now dry and filled with deposited gravel.

Geography (5 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions