River Processes Key Terms Flashcards
What is Abrasion?
Rocks carried along by the river wear down the river bed and banks.
Alluvium
Material deposited by a river
Attrition
Rocks being carried by the river smash together and break into smaller, smoother and rounder particles.
Cross profile
The side to side criss-section of a river channel (side view)
Dam
A man-made barrier built to interrupt river flow to control the dishcharge of the river.
Resevoir
A man made lake due to a dam
Dishcharge
The volume of water that passes a given point per unit time.
Embankments
Raised banks constructed along the river.
Advantage:
- Protects land around them.
- Make the river deeper so it can hold more water.
Disadvantage:
- Expensive
- Do not look natural
Estuary
The tidal mouth of a river where it meets the sea
-Wide banks of mud are exposed at low tide.
Flood
Occurs when discharge exceeds river channel capacity and water spills onto flood plain.
Flood plain
The flat area forming the valley floor near the river.
Interlocking spurs
A set of ridges which a river winds its course due to different hardness of rocks
Long profile
The gradient of a river, from its source to its mouth.
Meander
A bend in the river
Middle - lower course
