Keywords

Question 1

Abrasion

Answer 1

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

Question 2

Attrition

Answer 2

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

Question 3

Cross Profile

Answer 3

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

Question 4

Dam

Answer 4

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.

Question 5

Discharge

Answer 5

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

Question 6

Embankments

Answer 6

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.

Question 7

Estuary

Answer 7

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

Question 8

Flood

Answer 8

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

Question 9

Floodplain

Answer 9

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

Question 10

Flood Relief Channel

Answer 10

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.

Question 11

Floodplain Zoning

Answer 11

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.

Question 12

Flood Risk

Answer 12

The predicted frequency of floods in an area

Question 13

Flood Warning

Answer 13

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

Question 14

Fluvial Processes

Answer 14

Processes relating to erosion, transport and deposition by a river

Question 15

Gorge

Answer 15

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

Question 16

Hard Engineering

Answer 16

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.

Question 17

Hydraulic Action

Answer 17

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.

Question 18

Hydrograph

Answer 18

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

Question 19

Interlocking Spurs

Answer 19

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

Question 20

Lateral Erosion

Answer 20

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.

Question 21

Levees

Answer 21

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.

Question 22

Long Profile

Answer 22

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

Question 23

Meander

Answer 23

A pronounced bend in a river.

Question 24

Oxbow Lake

Answer 24

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

Question 25

Precipitation

Answer 25

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

Question 26

Saltation

Answer 26

Particles bouncing down the river bed.

Question 27

Soft Engineering

Answer 27

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.

Question 28

Solution

Answer 28

Soluble particles are dissolved into the river.

Question 29

Suspension

Answer 29

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

Question 30

Traction

Answer 30

The rolling of boulders and pebbles along the river bed.

Question 31

Vertical Erosion

Answer 31

Downward erosion of a river bed.

Question 32

Waterfall

Answer 32

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.