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Rivers Flashcards

(60 cards)

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1
Q

What is the rivers source

A

Where t.ye river begins

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2
Q

What is a drainage basin

A

The area from which water drains into the river

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3
Q

What is a water shed

A

And imaginary line that separates two drainage basins

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4
Q

What is a confluence

A

The point where two rivers join together

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5
Q

What is a tributary

A

A small river that joins the main river

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6
Q

What is the flood plain

A

Land that floods when a river overflows

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7
Q

What is the mouth of a river

A

Where the river flows into a sea or lake

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8
Q

What is the river bed

A

The bottom of a river channel

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9
Q

What is a river bank

A

The side of a river channel

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10
Q

What is the channel

A

Where the river flows into

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11
Q

What us a river channel

A

Where the river flows

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12
Q

What is the rivers long profile

A

It shows how a rivers gradient changes as it flows from the source to the mouth

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13
Q

Describe the upper course of a river

A

Steepest part of the river which is usually small and very fast and downward erosion is the dominant process

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14
Q

Describe the middle course of a river

A

Starts to flow slowly and can look muddy due to lots of sediment being carried and it starts to get wider

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15
Q

Describe the lower course of a river

A

Has a large flood plain and the v shape valley has disappeared due to the river being really wide

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16
Q

What is erosion in a river

A

The gradual removal of rock from a rivers bed or banks

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17
Q

What are the 4 types of erosion

A

Abrasion, attrition, solution, hydraulic action

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18
Q

What is abrasion

A

When the bed and banks of a river are worn down by the rivers load.

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19
Q

What is attrition

A

The load being carried in the river bumping into each other which causes the particles becoming smaller

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20
Q

What is solution

A

The chemical of the rivers whiter. The acids slowly dissolve the bed and banks

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21
Q

What is hydraulic action

A

The force of the water wearing away the bed and banks

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22
Q

How does the gradient of a river affect the rate of erosion

A

A steeper grading means the water is pulled by gravity quicker which cuts down and erodes the channel

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23
Q

How does rock resistance affect the rate of erosion

A

The more erodible rock there is the quicker erosion occurs

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24
Q

How does the velocity of the water affect the rate of erosion

A

The quicker the water moves the faster erosion takes place

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25
How does discharge affect the rate of erosion
The more water in a river means there is more power to erode which increases the rate of erosion
26
How does a v-shape valley occur
The river erodes downward, weathering loosens the solid rock around the sides, the loosened material falls down. This results in a steep sided valley which looks like the letter v
27
What is the bed load
This is the material carried by a river as it moves
28
What are the 4 transportation processes
Solution, suspension, saltation, traction
29
What is traction
large boulders and rocks that are rolled along the rivers bed
30
What is saltation
Small pebbles and stones that are bounces along the river bed
31
What is suspension
Fine material that is carried in the water
32
What is solution
Minerals that are dissolved in the water and are carried long through the water
33
What is a waterfall
A geological formation where flowing water drops into elevation as it flows over a cliff
34
How is a waterfall formed
Water flows over different types of rock. The soft rock wears away faster than the hard rock which causes a step to develop over time which the river plunges into as a waterfall. This cuts away at the rock behind the waterfall which causes the waterfall to move back leaving a gorge as it goes
35
What is the thalweg of the river
The line of fastest flow
36
What is a meander
The bends in a river
37
Where are meanders most commonly found
The middle course of a river
38
How is a meander formed
The Thalweg eroding the banks causing inner and outer bends and deposits the sediment of the sides of the river
39
What is an oxbow lake
A horse shoe/ semicircular area that represents the former course of a river
40
How is a oxbow lake formed
A meander getting bigger and the neck becoming gradually narrow which then gets cut off which causes the waterfall to take the easiest rout which eventually leads to the bend being fully isolated from the river
41
What is an estuary
The tidal part of a river where the fresh water from the river merges with the salt water from the sea
42
What is a levee
The deposited material found at the banks of a river
43
What causes flooding
Rain begins to fill the river channel and precipitation saturated the ground. The saturated ground causes the river to overflow and flow into the flood plain
44
What are some human reasons for flooding
Urbanisation, farming/ agriculture, deforestation
45
What are some physical reasons for flooding
V-shape valleys, impermeable rock, snow, rainfall
46
What is impermeable rock
Rock that can’t soak up any water
47
What is base flow
Starting and finishing flow of the river either die of increased discharge
48
What is peak discharge
Maximum discharge following rainfall
49
What is peak rainfall
Highest rate of precipitation during rainfall
50
What is lag time
The time between peak rainfall and peak discharge
51
What is a rising limb
Increasing discharge as storm water enters the river channel
52
What is a receding limb
Fall in discharge back to the base level
53
What are 4 ways of flood management
Dams, channelisation,retention ponds, afforestation
54
What are retention ponds
A pond that aloes runoff to be temporarily stored
55
What is channelisation
It reduces the friction between the water and banks which allows the water to move away from an area quicker
56
What is afforestation
The growth of trees which causes the flow of water towards the river channel
57
What are dams
They hold back water allowing it to be released in a controlled manner
58
What is hard engineering
Expensive structured that have an impact of the environment/ working against nature
59
What is soft engineering
An ecologically sensitive structure that works with nature and tends to be cheaper
60
What is discharge
The amount of water flowing through a river

geography (8 decks)

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