Geography Rivers

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What is a drainage basin?
An area of land drained by a river and its tributaries.
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What is a tributary and a confluence?
Tributary = A small stream that joins a larger river // Confluence = Where a tributary joins a larger river.
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What does a rivers long profile show?
Shows the speed (velocity) and the gradient (height) of the rivers journey from the source to the mouth.
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What is hydraulic action? (EROSION)
The force of the water hitting the river bed/bank causing soft rock to break off.
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What is abrasion? (EROSION)
When the rivers load repeatedly hits the bed or banks.
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What is attrition? (EROSION)
When stones carried by the river knock against eachother, gradually making them smoother and rounder.
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What is solution? (EROSION)
When the river flows over limestone and the rock is slowly dissolved because of its solubility.
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What is traction? (TRANSPORTATION)
Large particles rolled across the riverbed.
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What is suspension? (TRANSPORTATION)
Small sediment held in the water.
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What is saltation? (TRANSPORTATION)
Bouncing of particles on the bed which are too heavy to be suspended.
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When does depostion occour?
Deposition ocours when the velocity of the river decreases. It doesnt have enough energy to carry sediment so it is dropped.
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How are interlocking spurs formed? (LANDFORMS)
The stream isnt powerful enough to smash through rock so weaves around a v shaped valley.
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How are waterfalls formed? (LANDFORM)
Soft rock erodes quickly, so the harder rock undercuts and is left overhanging. The fallen rocks fall into the plunge pool below the drop.
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What is a gorge? (LANDFORM)
Steep sided narrow valley found downstream of a waterfall. Formed as a result of the waterfalls retreat.
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How are meanders and oxbow lakes formed? (LANDFORM)
Meanders (wide bends of the river) are formed by the lateral erosion of a river. As meanders widen the neck breaks (deposition)resulting in a horseshoe shaped lake.
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What are floodplains/levees? (LANDFORMS)
Floodplains are areas of flat land next to a river that has been flooded. A levee is a raised bank of material on the banks.
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What are estuaries? (LANDFORMS)
Transitional zones between the river and mouth (sea). Wide areas of the river in the lower course. Lots of depostion taking place.
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Name 3 methods of hard engineering...
Dams - Physical man made structures used to regulate water flow. Channel straightening - cutting through meanders to speed up the flow of water. Flood relief channels - a man made river channel to by pass an urban area. Enbankments - raised banks.
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Name 3 methods of soft engineering...
Floodplain zoning - restricts different land uses near a river. River restoration - returns river to its natural position (slows down flow). Preparing for floods - technology to alert public about floods in 3 different types of warning.
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What causes flooding?
Flooding ocours when a long period of rainfall ocours. Volume of water increases. Factors such as storms, rock type and gradient can affect flooding.
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What is a hydrograph?
A graph that plots river discharge ( volume of water) against time. Shows how discharge rises after storms.
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What is the lag time ? (HYDROGRAPH)
The time (hours) between the highest rainfall and highest peak discharge.
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Tributary = A small stream that joins a larger river // Confluence = Where a tributary joins a larger river.

Back

What is a tributary and a confluence?

Card 3

Front

Shows the speed (velocity) and the gradient (height) of the rivers journey from the source to the mouth.

Back

Preview of the back of card 3

Card 4

Front

The force of the water hitting the river bed/bank causing soft rock to break off.

Back

Preview of the back of card 4

Card 5

Front

When the rivers load repeatedly hits the bed or banks.

Back

Preview of the back of card 5
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