River Definitions

Question 1

Water Cycle

Answer 1

Continuous circulation of water between air, land and sea

Question 2

Drainage Basin

Answer 2

land drained by river and all of its tributaries

Question 3

Precipitation

Answer 3

Moisture in atmosphere (rainfall, snow, sleet, fog)

Question 4

Interception

Answer 4

Precipitation is prevented from falling onto the ground by plants. It slows down runoff and reduces risk of flash flooding

Question 5

Surface runoff

Answer 5

Water moving through surface of the land

Question 6

Infiltration

Answer 6

Movement of water from surface to soil

Question 7

Throughflow

Answer 7

Movement of water from soil to bedrock

Question 8

Groundwater flow

Answer 8

Water moving horizontally through bedrock towards river/sea

Question 9

Evapotranspiration

Answer 9

Water is (transferred from land to atmosphere) evaporated from surfaces [EG: lakes and transpiration from plants]

Question 10

Watershed

Answer 10

Boundary between drainage basins (often a ridge of high land)

Question 11

Source

Answer 11

Starting point of a river [can be lake, glacier, marsh etc)

Question 12

Tributary

Answer 12

A smaller stream flowing into a large river

Question 13

Confluence

Answer 13

2 rivers’ meeting spot xxx

Question 14

River mouth

Answer 14

End of river where it meets sea, lake or ocean

Question 15

Gradient

Answer 15

Slope where river loses height

Question 16

Depth

Answer 16

Distance from river surface to river bed

Question 17

Width

Answer 17

Measurement from one river bank to the other across a river channel

Question 18

Load

Answer 18

Sediment carried by river

Question 19

River discharge

Answer 19

Amount of water in a river which passes a certain point in a certain time. It is measured in CUMECS [cubic metres per sec]

Question 20

Erosion

Answer 20

Wearing away of landscape by ice, wind and water

Question 21

Attrition

Answer 21

Erosion where transported particles hit each other making the particles smaller and more rounded

Question 22

Abrasion

Answer 22

Grinding of rock fragments carried by river against bed and banks of river

Question 23

Hydraulic Action

Answer 23

Erosion caused by force of moving water. It undercuts riverbanks on outsides of meanders and forces air into cracks in exposed rocks/waterfalls

Question 24

Solution

Answer 24

Water chemically reacts with soluble materials in rock and dissolves them (chalk, lime, softer materials etc)

Question 25

Transportation

Answer 25

Movement of material across Earth’s surface

Question 26

Suspension

Answer 26

Transportation of the smallest load suspended by water (EG sand, clay, fine particles etc)

Question 27

Saltation

Answer 27

Bouncing of medium sized load along river bed (EG stones, pebbles…)

Question 28

Traction

Answer 28

Rolling of boulders and pebbles along river bed

Question 29

Deposition

Answer 29

Dropping of material on Earth’s surface

Question 30

River Landforms

Answer 30

Large scale features found along the profile of a river’s course. [EG: waterfalls, meanders….]

Question 31

Waterfalls

Answer 31

Steep fall of river water where its course crosses between different rock types resulting in different rates of erosion

Question 32

Meander

Answer 32

River landform where there is a sweeping curve of bend in river’s course

Question 33

Slip-off slope

Answer 33

Smalll feature seen on the outside of some meander bends high is caused by erosion of river bank

Question 34

River cliff

Answer 34

The outside bank of a water channel (stream) that continually undergoes erosion

Question 35

Floodplains

Answer 35

Area of low lying ground adjacent to a river formed by river sediments. (Subject to flooding)

Question 36

Levees

Answer 36

Raised banks along a river that reduce flood risk

Question 37

Flooding

Answer 37

Temporary covering by water of land which is normally dry

Question 38

River Management Strategy

Answer 38

Aims to control rivers and reduce risk of flooding

Question 39

Hard Engineering Strategy

Answer 39

Aims to control natural river hazard with methods that do not blend into natural surroundings

Question 40

Dams

Answer 40

A barrier [made of earth, concrete of stone] built across a valley to interrupt river flow and create reservoirs that store water and controls discharge of river

Question 41

Flood walls

Answer 41

Stone/brick/cement walls built alongside rivers to protect nearby areas from flood

Question 42

Levees

Answer 42

Raised banks along a river that help reduce flood risk

Question 43

Soft Engineering Methods

Answer 43

Strategies to control natural hazards that blend into environments and surrounding whilst often remaining sustainable

Question 44

Washlands

Answer 44

River allowed to flood these areas [usually farmland/recreational land close to settlements

Question 45

Land use zoning

Answer 45

Areas prone to flooding are protected from urban development

Question 46

Afforestation

Answer 46

Planting trees in areas that havent yet been forested