UNIT 1C - River Landscapes in the UK

Question 1

What is Hydraulic action?

Answer 1

force of water breaks rock particles away from the river

Question 2

What is abrasion?

Answer 2

eroded rocks are picked up and rubbed against the river, wearing it away (most erosion)

Question 3

What is attrition?

Answer 3

eroded rocks picked up by the river smash into each other and break into smaller fragments, edges are rounded off, decrease slowly the closer it gets to the mouth

Question 4

What is solution?

Answer 4

river water dissolves some rock ( chalk and limestone)

Question 5

What is traction?

Answer 5

large particle boulders are pushed along river bed by force of water

Question 6

What is suspension?

Answer 6

small particles like silt and clay are carried along

Question 7

What is saltation?

Answer 7

pebble-sized particles bounce along the river bed by force of water

Question 8

What is solution?

Answer 8

soluble materials dissolve in water and are carried along

Question 9

What does the long profile of a river show you?

Answer 9

the gradient (steepness) changes over its course

Question 10

Features of the upper course?

Answer 10

steep, v-shaped valley, steep sides narrow, shallow channel

Question 11

Features of the middle course?

Answer 11

gently sloping valley sides, wider, deeper channel/ medium

Question 12

Features of the lower course?

Answer 12

gentle, very wide, almost flat, valley very wide, deep channel

Question 13

What is vertical erosion?

Answer 13

deepens river channel, making it v-shaped. Dominant in upper course, high turbulence causes rough, angular particles scraped along bed, intense downward erosion

Question 14

What is lateral erosion?

Answer 14

widens the river valley (and channel) during formation of meanders, dominant in middle and lower course

Question 15

What is deposition?

Answer 15

is when a river drops the eroded material its transporting when it slows down

Question 16

Where are waterfalls and gorges found?

Answer 16

in the upper course

Question 17

How are waterfalls formed?

Answer 17

where a river flows over hard rock and followed by soft, softer rock is eroded ( hydraulic action and abrasion) creating a step in the river, as water goes over it, it erodes more and more. A steep drop is eventually created, hard rock is eventually undercut by erosion, it becomes unsupported and collapses, this is repeated and waterfall reseeds more and more

Question 18

What is interlocking spurs?

Answer 18

the upper course of the river, eroding downwards, it cant erode laterally so they wind round the high hillsides, they interlock with each other like a zip

Question 19

How are meanders formed?

Answer 19

current (flow of water) is faster on the outside bend because its deeper, ;ess friction. More erosion takes place on the outside bend, river cliffs, current is slower (shallower) more friction, eroded material is deposited on the outside bend, slip-off slopes

Question 20

How are ox-bow lakes formed?

Answer 20

erosion causes outside bends to come closer, until theirs a small amount left, river breaks through land (during flood) river goes through shortest course, depostion cuts of meander and creates ox-bow lake

Question 21

What are flood plains?

Answer 21

flat areas of land that flood.

Question 22

What happens in flood plains?

Answer 22

wide valley floor occasionally gets flooded, when it floods water slows down and deposits eroded material, builds up flood plain. Meanders migrate across making it wider, as well as downstream, flattening valley floor, deposition builds from flood plains (slip-off slopes)

Question 23

What are estuaries?

Answer 23

they are tidal areas, meets the sea

Question 24

Explain estuaries?

Answer 24

found at the mouth, land is closest to sea level and river is at its widest, (falls and rises every day) water floods over the banks carry silt and sand. as it reaches highest point, water is moving very slowly so sediment deposits . More and more builds up creating mudflats, at low tides muddy banks are exposed

Question 25

How long is river clyde?

Answer 25

160km long

Question 26

What is in the mouth of river clyde?

Answer 26

An estuary

Question 27

List some features of river clyde?

Answer 27

• the estuary is about 3km wide
• meanders between motherwell and glasgow
• interlocking spurs at crawford, 300-500m high
• ox-bow lake is beginning to form
• as well as gorge along the river

Question 28

What is river discharge?

Answer 28

the volume of water that flows per second

Question 29

What is river discharge measured in?

Answer 29

cumecs

Question 30

What is peak discharge?

Answer 30

highest discharge

Question 31

What is lag time?

Answer 31

delay between peak rainfall and peak discharge

Question 32

What is rising limb?

Answer 32

increase in river discharge as rain water flows into river

Question 33

What is falling limb?

Answer 33

decrease in river discharge as river returns to normal level

Question 34

What is Prolonged rainfall?

Answer 34

soil becomes saturated, increase surface run-off

Question 35

What is heavy rainfall?

Answer 35

arrives to quickly for infiltration, lots of run-off

Question 36

What is geology?

Answer 36

soils and some rocks are impermeable so run-off is increased, when it rains, discharge increases rapidly

Question 37

What is relief?

Answer 37

if a river is in a steep-sided valley, water reaches channel faster, water flows more quickly on steeper slopes

Question 38

Examples of soft engineering?

Answer 38

Flood warning, planting trees, preperation and flood plain

Question 39

Examples of hard engineering?

Answer 39

Dams and reservoirs, embankments, flood relief

Question 40

Pros and cons of dams and reservoirs?

Answer 40

stores water, reduce flooding, drinking water, expensive, eroded material is deposited farmland is left fertile

Question 41

Pros and cons of embankments?

Answer 41

holds more water, expensive, severe flooding if water rises above or breaks it

Question 42

Pros and Cons of flood relief?

Answer 42

takes water elsewhere, discharge reduced, control the water through gates, water levels get to high could flood, increased discharge

Question 43

Pros and cons of flood warnings?

Answer 43

gives people time to move, take appropriate precautions, doesnt stop flooding, people may not hear it

Question 44

Pros and cons of planting trees?

Answer 44

discharge and flooding reduced, reduces soil erosion, provides habitats, less farmland

Question 45

Pros and cons of preparation?

Answer 45

building take less damage, people know what to do, less worrying, expensive, doesn’t guarantee safety

Question 46

Pros and cons of flood plain?

Answer 46

impermeable surfaces aren’t created, no buildings to be damaged