River - Key Terminolgy Glossary Flashcards
(26 cards)
Alluvium
Material deposited by a river (sand-silt and mud).
Attrition
A process of erosion whereby the load rubs against itself.
Channel
What a river flows in.
Confluence
Where two rivers meet.
Abrasion
Where the load of s river is used to erode the banks and bed.
Solution
A process of erosion caused by calcium based rocks being dissolved, e.g limestone.
Delta
An area of deposition found at the mouth of the river - triangular in shape.
Discharge
The amount of water flowing in a river per second
Distributaries
Small channels found on Deltas as the main river splits up.
Drainage basin
The area of land drained by a single river.
Estuary
Total mouth of a river where it meets the sea - wide banks of deposited mud are exposed at low tides.
Flood hydrograph
A graph showing how a river responds to different amounts of rainfall.
Gorge
A narrow steep sided valley caused by a waterfall.
Hydraulic power
A process of river erosion caused by the force of the water.
Hydrological cycle
The cycle of water between the air, land and sea.
Lag time
The time between the peak rainfall and the peak discharge.
Meander
A bend I’m the river - usually in the middle or lower course.
Mouth
Where a river enters the sea or a lake.
Ox bow lake
A lake formed when a meander is sealed off by deposition.
Saltation
Particles bouncing down a river bed.
Source
The staring point of a river.
Traction
Boulder rolling along the river bed.
Tributaries
Small rivers or streams which flow into a larger river.
V-shaped valley
Shape of s river in the upper course with steep sides and narrow base.
