P2 - Rivers

Question 1

What is a river?

Answer 1

a flow of water from upland to lowland

Question 2

What are the main parts of a river? e.g source

Answer 2

Source, mouth , tributary , confluence

Question 3

What is a drainage basin?

Answer 3

an area that is drained by a river

Question 4

What are the 3 courses found in a river?

Answer 4

Upper,middle,lower

Question 5

What is the long course of the river

Answer 5

river from source to mouth

Question 6

What landforms can be found in the upper course

Answer 6

waterfalls, interlocking spurs, v shape valley

Question 7

What landforms can be found in the middle course

Answer 7

meanders, ox-bow lakes

Question 8

What landforms can be found in the lower course

Answer 8

meanders , floodplains , levees

Question 9

How are rivers formed?

Answer 9

Rain falling on the ground anc creating a river channel (precipitation)

Question 10

What are the 4 types of erosion? What do they do?

Answer 10

Hydraulic action - sheer pressure of the water
Attrition- makes sediment smoother , smaller rounder
Abrasion - acts like sandpaper
Solution - acidity of the water

Question 11

Which process does not affect the landform of the river

Answer 11

attrition

Question 12

What is erosion?

Answer 12

the breaking down and wearing away of rock

Question 13

What other processes are found in a river?

Answer 13

deposition, transportation

Question 14

What are the 4 ways sediment can be carried?

Answer 14

traction ,suspension ,solution ,saltation

Question 15

What is traction ?

Answer 15

heavy rocks rolling along the bottom of the ocean

Question 16

What is supension?

Answer 16

the sediment floats in the water

Question 17

What is saltation?

Answer 17

rocks bouncing along the bottom of the seabed

Question 18

What is solution?

Answer 18

sediment dissolves in the water and gets carried

Question 19

What happens to sediment when it gets further down the river?

Answer 19

It gets smaller ,smoother and rounder

Question 20

What are the shapes of the 3 courses?

Answer 20

upper- v shape
middle - u shape
lower - wide u shape

Question 21

What are the two different types of erosion?

Answer 21

Lateral and vertical

Question 22

How do we manage rivers?

Answer 22

Hard and soft engineering

Question 23

Give 4 examples of soft engineering methods for managing flood risks

Answer 23

Aforestaion, washland, restoration and floodplain retention

Question 24

Give 4 examples of hard engineering methods for managing flood risks

Answer 24

Walls, levees, flood relief channel, dredging

Question 25

Give pros of soft engineering

Answer 25

cheaper, sustainable, attractive, long term

Question 26

Give cons of soft engineering

Answer 26

trees take long time to grow

Question 27

Give pros of hard engineering

Answer 27

lasts long time, more effective

Question 28

Give cons of hard engineering

Answer 28

really expensive

Question 29

What is a confluence?

Answer 29

a point where multiple rivers meet

Question 30

What is a tributary

Answer 30

a smaller river that joins the main river stream

Question 31

Meanders: on the outside of the bend the current is faster/slower

Answer 31

faster

Question 32

Meanders: on the inside of the bend the current is faster/slower

Answer 32

slower

Question 33

Meanders: on the outside of the bend what occurs?

Answer 33

erosion (lateral)

Question 34

Meander: on the outside of the bend what occurs?

Answer 34

deposition

Question 35

How do waterfalls form?

Answer 35

- more resistant rock over less resistant rock - less resistant rock erodes creating a step - overhang is created - overhang cannot withstand pressure, it breaks and rocks fall down - a plunge pool is created, hydraulic action and from falling rocks.

Question 36

What are the physical factors that affect hydrographs

Answer 36

Geology of the land - more resistant rock will absorb less rock than less resistant rock, run-off will be greater and faster Soil type - impermeable and permeable soils, more run-off Vegetation - more water absorbs if more vegetation planted Slope - steeper causes more runoff reaches water more quickly

Question 37

What are the human factors that can affect hydrographs

Answer 37

land use change deforestation urbanisation building on floodplains not dredging