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River key words Flashcards

(91 cards)

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1
Q

Relief

A

the difference in height from place to place on the lands surface

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2
Q

Erosion

A

The wearing away of the river bank and bed or the river load

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3
Q

Transportation

A

The movement of the load down the river

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4
Q

Deposition

A

The laying down of the river load

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5
Q

Abrasion

A

This is the process by which the bed and banks are worn down by the river’s load. The river throws these particles against the bed and banks, sometimes at high velocity

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6
Q

Attrition

A

Material (the load) carried by the river bump into each other and so are smoothed and broken down into smaller particles

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7
Q

Solution (erosion)

A

This is the chemical action of river water. The acids in the water slowly dissolve the bed and the banks

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8
Q

Hydraulic action

A

The water crashing against the river bed and bank

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9
Q

Solution

A

Dissolved material is carried as a chemical in the water only in rivers on limestone and chalk, called solute load

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10
Q

Solute load

A

Dissolved, suspended and bed load

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11
Q

Saltation

A

Small stones and pebbles that are bounced along the river bed

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12
Q

Suspension

A

Very small sand sized particles or clay particles which are suspended in the water, these particles make the water look dirty, these are called the suspended load

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13
Q

Suspended load

A

the portion of its sediment uplifted by the fluids flow in the process of sediment transportation

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14
Q

traction

A

Heavy rocks and boulders which are rolled along the river bed, this is called bedload

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15
Q

bedload

A

Particles in a flowing fluid (usually water) that are transported along the stream bed

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16
Q

Velocity

A

The speed of water flow

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17
Q

source

A

The place where a river begins

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18
Q

Tributary

A

a freshwater stream that feeds into a larger stream or river

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19
Q

Confluence

A

2 or more flowing bodies of water join together to form a single channel

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20
Q

Watershed

A

an area of land that drains or sheds water into a specific waterbody

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21
Q

Main river channel

A

a landform where a relatively narrow body of water is situated

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22
Q

River basin

A

the area of land around a river from which all water is drained

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23
Q

Mouth

A

the place where a river enters the ocean or a big lake

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24
Q

Long profile

A

The way of displaying the channel slope

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25
Cross profile
a section taken sideways across the channel or valley
26
Upper course
the section at the beginning of the river, nearest the source
27
Middle course
The section of the river which comes between the upper and lower course
28
Lower course
The final section of a river flows into another body of water which could be a loch, sea, the ocean or a larger river
29
Lateral erosion
sideways erosion by a river on the outside of a meander channel
30
Vertical erosion
The main process in the upper course of the river, as the river wants to get to sea level
31
V shaped valley
these are valley formed by rivers
32
Inter-locking spurs
a spur is land jutting out causing a river to meander
33
Waterfall
When a river flows over land that is two different level or heights, the water flows from the highest level onto the lower level before continuing on its course.
34
Gorge
a deep narrow valley with very steep sides, usually where a river passes through mountains or an area of hard rock
35
Undercut (can be used as a verb, noun or adjective)
the erosion of material at the foot of a cliff or a steep bank.
36
Meander
when water flows in a curvy, bendy path, like a snake
37
River cliff
river cliff are features of meander
38
River beach / slip-off slope
the build up of deposited sediment
39
Floodplain
an area of flat land alongside a river
40
Meander migration
the meander will migrate down stream and change shape over time.
41
Ox bow lake
the remains of the bend in the river
42
Levee
the structure used to keep the course of river from changing and to protect against flooding of the area adjoining the river or coast.
43
Estuary
a partially enclosed, costal water body where freshwater from river and streams mixes with salt water from the ocean.
44
More resistant rock
hard rocks - such as chalk and limestone are more resistant than soft rocks such as clay and sandstone.
45
Less resistant rock
this erodes more rapidly than more resistant rock
46
Waterfall retreat
the collapsed rock in turn erodes the foot of the waterfall through abrasion, creating a deep plunge pool
47
Plunge pool
a deep depression in a stream bed at the base of waterfall or shut-in
48
Overhang
this forms when there are horizontal bands of resistant rock (hard rock) positioned over exposed, less resistant rock (soft rocks)
49
Inside bend
water on the inner bend is slower, causing the water to slow down and deposit the eroded material.
50
Outside bend
the river starts to flow from side to side in a winding course but still in a relatively straight cannel.
51
Inundate
to cover an area of land with a large amount of water
52
‘breaks its banks’
this is were the river bursts it banks and floodplains from due to erosion
53
alluvium
a general term for clay, sand and gravel
54
Urbanisations (as a cause of flooding)
reduced the ability of land to absorb rainfall through the introduction of hard, impermeable surfaces.
55
Impermeable
some rocks have pored in them, which are empty spaced and the fluid can flow through the rock.
56
Permeable
the measure of the ease of flow of a fluid through a porous solid.
57
Infiltration
the process of water moving through soil and rock layers that make up the earths surface, to b stored as groundwater.
58
Surface flow / surface run off
the unconfined flow of water over the ground surface.
59
Transpiration
the process by which water evaporates from a plant into the atmosphere
60
Afforestation
The process of planting tress in areas that were previously not forested
61
Deforestation (as a cause of flooding)
Reducing the amount of water that trees absorb and store in the soil
62
Agriculture (as a cause of flooding)
Increasing the amount of water that runs off the land and into rivers
63
Discharge
The amount of water that flow through a body of water in a unit of time
64
Cumecs
A unit of measurement for discharge, which is the amount of water flowing through a river per second
65
Peak precipitation
The maximum amount of rainfall that occurs during a period of time
66
Peak discharge
the highest river flow during the weather event (FLOOD!!)
67
Lag time
the time between peak rainfall and peak discharge (how long water takes to get to the river)
68
Rising limb
the increase of discharge
69
Falling limb
the decrease in discharge and the river going back to base flow.
70
Fast response hydrograph
A graph to show how a river responds to a period of rainfall
71
Slow response hydrograph
A flood- hydrograph that shows a river's slow response to a storm event
72
Hard engineering
The construction of artificial structures to control natural processes, such as erosion and flooding examples are: Sea walls, Groynes, Rip Rap, Gabions, Dams Embankments
73
Soft engineering
A sustainable nature bases approach to managing rivers and shorelines , examples are: Beach nourishment, Beach recycling, Floodplain zoning, Fencing, Replanting
74
Dam
A barrier built across a river, stream, or estuary to control the flow of water
75
Reservoir
The large body of water that stores water usually for human use
76
Channel straightening
A river management technique that removes meanders from a river to make it straighter
77
Embankments
Thick wall of earth that is built to carry a road or railway over an area of low ground, or prevent water from a river or the sea from flooding the area
78
Flood relief channel
A man made channel built along side a river to divert water away from areas at risk of flooding
79
Flood warnings
A notification that flooding is expected in a specific area and that people and property should be protected
80
Flood plain zoning
A land use management strategy that limits construction on floodplains to reduce the risk of flooding
81
Flood preparation
The process of reducing the risk of flooding and the damage it causes
82
River restoration
The process of managing rivers to restore their natural processes and biodiversity
83
Flood risk
The likelihood of flooding and the potential consequences of that flooding
84
Flood management
The practice of reducing the risk of flooding and the damage is causes
85
Banbury
A historic town in Oxfordshire, England located on the river Cherwell
86
River Cherwell
The river Cherwell is a tributary of the River Thames in central England
87
Flood storage area
A natural or man made area that temporarily stores water during periods of high river levels
88
Hardwick and Huscote flow control structures
Flow control structures called he Hardwick flow control structures and the Huscote flow control structures, they control the amount of water in the river.
89
Borrow Area
A borrow area is located where earth of sediment is excavate for use in construction
90
Biodiversity Action Plan
A program that aims to protect and restore the natural environment
91
Pumping station
A building that uses pumps and machinery to move fluids from one place to another

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