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Paper 1 - Physical Landscapes in the UK > Rivers - Processes and landforms > Flashcards

Rivers - Processes and landforms Flashcards

(85 cards)

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1
Q

What is a valley?

A

A low stretch of land between hills and mountains, often with a river flowing through it.

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2
Q

What is meant by a river’s course?

A

The course is the path a river takes as it flows downhill.

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3
Q

What is a drainage basin?

A

An area of land drained by a river and its tributaries.

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4
Q

What is the long profile of a river?

A

A diagram which shows how a river’s gradient changes through its different courses.

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5
Q

What is the cross profile of a river?

A

A diagram which shows what a cross-section of a river looks like in its different courses.

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6
Q

How does gradient change through the long profile?

A

Steepest gradient is in the upper course, more gentle in the middle course and very low-lying in the middle course.

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7
Q

How does velocity change through the long profile?

A

Velocity is low in the upper course due to friction with the river bed and banks. Increases in middle course; greatest in the lower course.

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8
Q

How does the channel change through the long profile?

A

Narrow and shallow in the upper course; uneven with rough surfaces. Becomes wider, deeper and smoother in middle course. Is widest, deepest and smoothest in lower course.

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9
Q

How does the river change through its cross profile?

A

Channel becomes wider and deeper in lower course. Valley becomes wider and flatter in lower course. Valley tends to be V-shaped in the upper course.

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10
Q

Why does the shape of the river’s cross profile change?

A

Erosion flattens and broadens the base of the valley. Weathering and mass movement make the valley sides less steep downstream.

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11
Q

What is the difference between vertical and lateral erosion?

A

Vertical erosion deepens the river bed, mainly occurs in the upper course and mainly by hydraulic action. Lateral erosion erodes river banks. More common in middle and lower courses of a river.

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12
Q

What is abrasion?

A

The action of boulders and stones wearing away the river bed and banks by scraping and grinding along them like sandpaper.

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13
Q

What is attrition?

A

Sediment knocking particles against one another and breaking them down into smaller, rounder pieces.

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14
Q

What is hydraulic action?

A

Fast-flowing water forcing air into cracks in the river bed and banks. Repeated changes in air pressure cause the bed and banks to weaken.

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15
Q

What is solution?

A

When slightly acidic river water dissolves soluble rocks such as chalk and limestone.

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16
Q

What is river transportation?

A

The movement of sediment/material by rivers. The material comes from weathered material that has rolled down hillsides and into rivers, as well as from eroded river bed and banks.

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17
Q

What is traction?

A

Large boulders and rocks rolled along the river bed.

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18
Q

What is saltation?

A

Small pebbles and stones bounced along the river bed.

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19
Q

What is suspension?

A

Fine, light material e.g. alluvium, carried along in the water. It floats along, hanging in the water.

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20
Q

What is solution?

A

When minerals dissolved in the water are carried along by the river’s flow, typically in areas where the bed and banks are made of soluble chalk or limestone.

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21
Q

What is deposition?

A

When material that was being transported by the river is dropped.

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22
Q

Why does deposition occur?

A

Because, sometimes, the velocity of a river decreases and it no longer has enough energy to transport material.

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23
Q

When does the velocity of a river decrease?

A

When the volume of water in the river falls. When the amount of eroded material in the water increases. When the water is shallower. When the river reaches its mouth.

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24
Q

Where is traction (transportation) dominant?

A

In the river’s upper course. Large, angular rocks tend to be transported here for a short time, mainly by traction, during periods of high flow.

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25
Where is deposition dominant?
At the mouth of the river. The interaction with tides and the very gentle gradient greatly reduce the river’s velocity.
26
Which process dominates in the river’s upper course?
Vertical erosion.
27
What are interlocking spurs?
Fingers of land that jut out into the river valley.
28
How do interlocking spurs form?
The river cuts down vertically into the valley. If there are areas of hard rock in the valley, the river will flow around them (as they are harder to erode). This creates interlocking spurs of land, which link together like the teeth of a zip. They tend to have steep gradients and they project (stick out) from alternate sides of the valley.
29
What are rapids?
Fast-flowing, turbulent sections of the river where the river bed has a relatively steep gradient.
30
How do rapids form?
They form where there are alternate bands of hard and soft rock across the river channel. This leads to differential rates of erosion, resulting in an uneven river bed. Water pools in the deeper, more eroded areas and creates fast-flowing water.
31
What is a waterfall?
A sudden, steep drop in a river’s course.
32
How are waterfalls formed?
Formed where water rushes down steep hillsides in upland areas. Formed when there is a horizontal band of hard rock atop a horizontal band of soft rock. Soft rock is eroded quicker, creating a step. Differential erosion continues, undercutting the hard rock and forming an overhang. Overhanging rock, no longer supported, collapses into the plunge pool. Plunge pool, found at the base of the waterfall, is eroded deeper by hydraulic action & abrasion. Collapse of the overhang results in waterfall retreating upstream.
33
What is a gorge?
A steep-sided, narrow valley.
34
How does a gorge form?
Due to the continued retreat of a waterfall.
35
Define ‘differential erosion’.
Erosion occurring at different rates, due to differences in the resistance of rocks.
36
Which process dominates in the river’s middle course?
Lateral erosion.
37
What are meanders?
Wide bends of a river, found mainly in the middle and lower course.
38
What happens to meanders over time?
They migrate downstream and sometimes form ox-bow lakes.
39
What are the characteristics of the outside bend?
Erosion dominates. Water is deeper on the outside bend, so there is more energy due to decreased friction with the bed and banks. River cliffs are found here.
40
What are the characteristics of the inside bend?
Deposition dominates. Water flows slower. There is increased friction with the river bed and banks because the water is shallow. Slip-off slops form here.
41
What is the thalweg?
The line of fastest flow (velocity) within a river. It swings from outside bend to outside bend.
42
What is an ox-bow lake?
A horseshoe-shaped lake formed by the continued erosion and migration of meanders.
43
How are ox-bow lakes formed?
Erosion causes the meander neck to narrow. During times of flood, the river channel cuts straight through the meander neck (to take the shortest route). Thus, the river forms a new, straight channel. The meander becomes sealed off over time by deposition. This leaves a horseshoe-shaped ox-bow lake.
44
Define ‘river cliff’.
A steep bank formed on the outside bend of a river, due to fast-flowing water undercutting the bank.
45
Define ‘slip-off slope’.
A gently sloping bank found in the inside bend of a meander, due to the slow-flowing water depositing sediment.
46
Which process dominates in the river’s lower course?
Deposition.
47
What is a floodplain?
A wide, flat area of land on either side of the river. It is the area that flows when the river overflows its banks. Floodplains tend to be fertile because they are rich in alluvium.
48
How are floodplains widened?
By the migration of meanders downstream.
49
How are floodplains heightened?
By the flooding of rivers. When rivers flood, the velocity of the overflowing water slows. This reduces its capacity to transport sediment; it is deposited on the floodplain. Layers of deposited sediment heighten the floodplain over time.
50
What is a levee?
A raised river bank, found alongside the river in its lower course.
51
How are levees formed?
During a floor, the river overflows water and sediment. The coarsest/heaviest sediment is deposited closes to the river. Finer materials are carried further before being deposited. During low flow, the river deposits fine silt on the river bed, raising the bed and reducing the river’s capacity to store water. This increases flood risk. After repeated flood events, and repeated deposition of the coarsest sediment closes to the rover, the river banks become heightened and levees are formed.
52
What is an estuary?
A wide, sheltered body of water found at the river’s mouth where it meets the sea. It is an area where salt water from the sea and fresh water from the river combine.
53
Why are estuaries ecologically important?
Mudflats and saltmarshes form in estuaries. They are important wildlife habitats.
54
Define ‘alluvium’.
A very fine, fertile soil made of mud, silt and sand.
55
Define ‘coarse’.
Describes sediment/material that is large, angular and rough.
56
Where is the River Tees located?
In the north-east of England.
57
Where is the source of the Tees?
In the Pennine Hills, near Cross Fell.
58
How long is the River Tees?
128km from its source to its mouth.
59
Where is the mouth of the Tees?
In the North Sea, at Middlesbrough.
60
What are the features of the upper course of the Tees?
Interlocking spurs which have formed close to Cauldron Snout. High Force waterfall, located in Forest-in-Teesdale, which drops 21 metres. Formed by the differential erosion of whinstone (a hard rock) and sandstone & shale (soft rocks).
61
What are the features of the middle course of the Tees?
Winding meanders. There are a number of meanders located near Barnard Castle.
62
What are the features of the lower course of the Tees?
Large, winding meanders, particularly near Yarm. Levees. A large estuary with mudflats. Seal Sands – a protected saltmarsh which is part of Teesmouth Nature Reserve.
63
Define ‘source’.
The point at which a river begins.
64
Define ‘mouth’.
The point at which a river ends and meets the sea.
65
Define ‘estuary’.
A wide, sheltered body of water found at the river’s mouth, where it meets the sea.
66
What is a flood?
The overflow of river water onto the floodplain because the river can no longer hold the water flowing in it.
67
How does precipitation cause flooding?
Heavy rain can result in too much water for the river to hold leading to increased surface runoff. Steady rainfall can cause the soil around the river to become saturated.
68
How does relief of the drainage basin cause flooding?
In mountainous areas, relief is high so gravity causes water to travel quickly down slopes and into rivers.
69
How does rock type cause flooding?
Impermeable rocks don’t allow water to pass through. Drainage basins made of impermeable shale and clay can cause increased flood risk.
70
How does ice melt cause flooding?
Warmer temperatures in Spring cause ice in mountain regions to melt = increase amount of water travelling downstream, into rivers.
71
How does drainage density cause flooding?
High drainage density is when a river has lots of tributaries. This leads to increased flood risk because there is lots of water flowing into the main river channel.
72
How does urbanisation cause flooding?
Building driveways, roads and car parks = more impermeable surfaces in cities, so less percolation.
73
How does deforestation cause flooding?
Less trees = less interception and absorption of rainfall by trees = increased surface runoff.
74
How does agriculture cause flooding?
Unused soil becomes thin, unstable and easily eroded. This reduces the soil’s capacity to store water. Ploughed soil increases surface runoff because water travels quickly along furrows.
75
How does human ice melt cause flooding?
Releasing excess greenhouse gases into the atmosphere increases global temperatures and melts ice. This will lead to sea level rise = more frequent floods.
76
What is a flood hydrograph?
A graph that plots river discharge after a storm event, showing how discharge rises and then falls.
77
What is lag time?
The difference between peak rainfall peak discharge.
78
What is a flashy hydrograph?
A hydrograph which has a short lag time, high peak discharge and steep rising limb.
79
Why might a hydrograph be flashy?
If the river is in a small drainage basin = fast water transfer. If the drainage basin is made of impermeable rocks. If the drainage density is high. If the land around the river is urbanised. If the soil in the drainage basin is saturated.
80
What is a subdued hydrograph?
A hydrograph which has a long lag time, lower peak discharge and gentle rising limb.
81
Why might a hydrograph be subdued?
If the drainage basin is forested. If relief of the drainage basin is low and slopes are gentle. If rainfall is light and of low intensity. If there is a low drainage density.
82
What is peak rainfall?
The time at which highest rainfall occurred.
83
What is peak discharge?
The time at which the river reached its highest flow.
84
What is rainfall measured in on a hydrograph?
Cumecs (cubic metres per second).
85
Which kind of hydrograph is associated with increased flood risk?
Flashy.

Paper 1 - Physical Landscapes in the UK (4 decks)

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