Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

Geography > Rivers > Flashcards

Rivers Flashcards

(80 cards)

Start Studying
1
Q

Abrasion

A

Rocks moving with river wear down river bed and banks

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Attrition

A

Rocks carried by the river collide and break each other into smaller, rounder pieces

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Cross Profile

A

Side to side cross-section of a river channel / valley

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Dam / Reservoir

A

Barrier built across a valley to interrupt a river and create a man-made lake which controls the discharge of the river

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Discharge

A

Quantity of water passing a point in a river in a given amount of time

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Embankments

A

Raised banks along the side of the river, making the channel deeper to hold more water

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Estuary

A

Tidal mouth of a river where it meets the sea - wide banks of deposited mud are exposed at low tide

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Flood

A

River discharge exceeds channel capacity and water spills into floodplains or other areas

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Floodplains

A

Flat area forming valley floor on either side of the river, which is sometimes flooded

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Flood Plain Zoning

A

Organising flood defences in a way that puts buildings away from the floodplains, which may be used for agriculture, playing fields, etc.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Flood Relief Channels

A

Artificial channels, which carry water away from the main river channel during periods of extreme discharge

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Flood Risk

A

Predicted frequency of floods in an area

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Flood Warning

A

Advance information about when a flood is expected to occur - flood warning systems give people time to evacuate

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Fluvial Processes

A

Processes relating to erosion, transport and deposition by a river

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Gorge

A

Narrow, steep-sided valley, usually caused by the upstream retreat of a waterfall

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Hard Engineering

A

Methods of flood prevention which involve completely artificial structures to reduce or stop river processes leading to floods

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Hydraulic Action

A

The force of the water in the river causes air to get trapped in cracks along the material of the river bank/bed - the pressure gradually wears them away

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Hydrograph

A

A graph which shows the discharge of a river compared to rainfall over a period of time

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Interlocking Spurs

A

A series of ridges projecting out on alternate sides of a valley, which the river winds its course around

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Lateral Erosion

A

Sideways erosion on the river bank on the outside of a meander, causing the river channel to widen and contributing to the formation of floodplains

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Levees

A

Natural embankments of sediment deposited during a flood, which build every time the river floods and which deepen the river channel, so reducing flood risk

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Long Profile

A

The gradient of a river, from its source to its mouth

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Meander

A

A pronounced bend in a river

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Ox-bow lake

A

Arc-shaped lake which has been cut off from a meandering river

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Precipitation
Water/moisture falling from the atmosphere e.g., rain, snow
26
Saltation
Particles bouncing down the river bed
27
Soft Engineering
Using the natural environment to work with river processes and manage flood risk
28
Solution
Soluble particles dissolved in the river
29
Channel Straightening
Removing meanders to make a river straighter to carry water downstream quicker and prevent floods
30
Suspension
Fine solid material held in the moving water of the river
31
Traction
Pebbles and stones rolling along the river bed
32
Vertical Erosion
Downwards erosion, wearing down the river bed and deepening the river channel
33
Waterfall
Sudden descent of a river over a vertical / steep slope
34
Erosion
Gradual wearing away and breaking down of the river bank and bed and other solid material in the river
35
Transport
The movement of eroded material along a river
36
Deposition
Material settling out of the water when the river flow slows down
37
Give three factors that affect flood risk
- prolonged/heavy rainfall - relief of watershed - geology - vegetation - urban land use
38
Explain how relief can affect flood risk
- shape of watershed determines how quickly water reaches the river - steep sided is quicker than shallow sided valley - rounded is fastest - water reaching river faster; more likely to flood
39
Explain how geology can affect flood risk
- permeable rocks make it more likely that water will travel as groundflow or throughflow - reduces surface runoff - greater lag time, so river less likely to flood
40
Explain how vegetation can affect flood risk
- trees and other plants intercept water - slow it down as it tries to reach the river - increase lag time and reduce flood risk
41
Explain how urban land use can affect flood risk
- permeable surfaces on the ground (e.g., tarmac) - water travels mainly as surface runoff, so reaches river quicker - less lag time, so increased chance of flooding
42
Describe the location of the River Tees (3 points)
Pennines - North of the UK Begins near Cross Fell Ends near Middlesbrough Roughly 128km long
43
Explain the formation of waterfalls
- upper/middle course of a river - river runs over alternating layers of hard and soft rock - soft rock is eroded faster, leaving a step - erosion continues and hard rock is undercut; a plunge pool is formed - overhang gets bigger and eventually falls off, making the waterfall retreat
44
Explain the formation of gorges
- waterfall is formed from layers of soft and hard rock - erosion processes create a plunge pool and make it bigger over time - overhang gradually increases until it falls and the waterfall retreats - steep-sided valley left where waterfall once was - this is known as a gorge
45
Explain the formation of interlocking spurs
- upper course of a river - mainly vertical erosion due to gravity; river cuts down into valley - bends around hard rock that is difficult to erode - creates interlocking spurs of land which link together
46
Explain the formation and development of meanders
- water goes around a bend in the river - mostly pushed to the outside of the bend, where it moves fastest - increases erosion due to speed (hydraulic action and abrasion) - water is slower on inner bend, so some substances can settle out of the water - deposition
47
Explain the formation of an oxbow lake
- bend/meander in river becomes more pronounced over time - slower water on inside of bend deposits eroded material - faster water on outside of bend erodes river banks more - period of extreme discharge takes place (e.g., rainstorm) - neck is cut through, and an arc-shaped lake is left behind
48
Explain the formation of levees
- lower course of a river where flooding occurs - sediment eroded upstream is transported downstream - sediment spreads over floodplain during a flood - largest material on sides of river bank, smaller material further away - over time, sediment builds up height of the river banks; deeper channel is less likely to flood in the future
49
Factors leading to deposition
- volume of water decreases - shallow water - water moving slower
50
Drainage Basin
Area of land around a river that is drained by the river and its tributaries
51
Watershed
Area of high land forming the edge of a river basin
52
Source
Where a river begins
53
Mouth
Where a river meets the sea
54
Confluence
The point at which two rivers meet
55
Tributary
A small river or stream that joins a larger river
56
Channel
Where the river flows
57
Describe the upper course of a river
- often in an upland area; mainly vertical erosion - river's load is large, as it hasn't been eroded yet - channel is shallow and narrow
58
Describe the lower course of a river
- land is flatter, due to lateral erosion - river's load is mainly fine sediment that has been broken down over time - channel is wide and deep
59
Peak Discharge
Maximum amount of water held in the channel
60
Peak Rainfall
Maximum amount of rainfall (mm)
61
Lag time
Time taken between peak rainfall and peak discharge
62
Rising Limb
Shows increase in discharge on a hydrograph
63
Falling Limb
Shows the return to normal discharge (base flow) on a hydrograph
64
Base Flow
Normal discharge of the river
65
Factors influencing lag time
- size of drainage basin - vegetation - valley side steepness - soil type and geology
66
Evaluate the use of dams and reservoirs in river management
Pros: - can be used to generate hydroelectric power - reservoirs can attract tourists Cons: - expensive - trap sediment so may hold less water over time - habitats flood which can rot vegetation and release methane, a greenhouse gas - settlements may be lost, displacing people
67
Evaluate the use of river straightening and dredging in river management
Pros: - more water held in channel - reduces flood risk in built-up areas Cons: - dredging must be done frequently - increases flood risk downstream
68
Evaluate the use of embankments in river management
Pros: - cheap; one-off cost - flood water contained within river Cons: - looks unnatural - water speeds up and increases flood risk downstream
69
Evaluate the use of flood relief channels in river management
Pros: - removes excess water from channel to reduce flood risk Cons: - expensive - rising water levels may also flood relief channel
70
Evaluate flood warnings and preparation in river management
Pros: - time to protect properties - possessions saved; fewer insurance claims Cons: - some people may not have access to the warnings - may be ineffective with flash floods - do not stop land flooding
71
Evaluate the use of flood plain zoning in river management
Pros: - reduced flood risk for expensive properties - less damage caused, so fewer insurance claims - flooded land has other uses e.g., agriculture Cons: - not always possible to change existing land uses - planners must decide what type of flood to plan for
72
Boscastle flood defence scheme (August 2004)
- £10 million - widening and deepening river channel - replacing low bridges with wider ones, to stop them acting like dams (trapped debris in 2004 flood) - raising car park and using a permeable surface - tree management - dead trees removed and living ones well-maintained
73
Alluvium
The sediment deposited by rivers, also known as silt
74
Mudflat
Sheltered coastal areas where mud is deposited by tides or rivers
75
Plunge Pool
The pool of water found at the bottom of a waterfall; it is an erosional feature, created by a combination of hydraulic action and the abrasion of the plunging water
76
River Cliff
Steep bank created on the outside of a river bend by the erosive effect of fast-flowing water undercutting the bank
77
Slip-off Slope
Gently sloping bank found on the inside of a river bend because of slow-flowing water, depositing sediment
78
Infiltration
Water that soaks into the ground
79
Saturated
Unable to contain any more water
80
Surface Run-off
The water that runs over the surface of the land when the soil is unable to absorb it

Geography (17 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions