River Landscapes Keywords

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Peak rainfall
the highest amount of rainfall per time unit (the highest bar)
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Rising limb
shows how quickly the discharge rises after a rainstorm (the first part of a line graph)
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Peak discharge
the highest recorded discharge following a rainfall event (the top of the line graph)
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Lag time
the time difference between the peak rainfall and peak discharge (measure the horizontal distance between the top of the highest rainfall bar to the top of the discharge line and note the difference in hours)
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Falling limb
shows the reduced discharge once the main effect of runoff has passed (the last part of the line graph which is going down)
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Base flow
the normal flow of a river when its water level is being sustained by groundwater flow (usually shown on the hydrograph as a seperate line)
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Bankfull discharge
(does not always appear on hydrographs) will be drawn as a horizontal line marking the level of discharge above which flooding will occur as the river will burst its banks.
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Precipitation
any source of moisture reaching the ground e.g. snow, rainfall
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Interception
water being prevented from reaching the surface by sea or grass
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Surface storage
water held on the ground surface e.g puddles
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Infiltration
water sinking into soil/rock from the ground surface
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Soil moisture
water held in the soil layer
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Percolation
water seeping deeper than the surface
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Groundwater
water stored in the rock
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Transpiration
water lost through pores in vegetation
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Evaporation
water lost from ground/vegetation surface
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Surface runoff
water flowing on top of the ground
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Throughflow
water flowing through the soil layer parallel to the surface
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Groundwater
water flowing through the rock layer parallel to the surface
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Water table
currnt upper level of saturated rock/soil where no more water can be absorbed
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Abrasion
the wearing away of cliffs by sediment flung by breaking waves
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Alluvium
erosion caused when rocks and boulders transported by waves bump into each other and break up into smaller pieces
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Attrition
erosion caused when rocks and boulders transported by waves bump into each other and break up into smaller pieces
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Channel
the side to side cross-section of a river channel and/or valley
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Channel straightening
removing meanders from a river to make the river straighter. Strightening a river allows it to carry more water quickly downstream, so it doesn't build up as it is less likely to flood.
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Confluence
stores water and controls the discharge of a river
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Course
occurs when material being transported by the sea is dropped due to the sea losing energy
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Cross profile
the side to side cross-section of a river channel and/or valley
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Dam
a barrier (made of earth,concrete or stone) built across a valley to interrupt the river flow and create a man-made lake
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Soft engineering
is where the natural environment is used to help reduce coastal erosion and river flooding. At the coast soft engineering is where a beach is used to absorb wave energy and reduce erosion.
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Hard engineering
s a coastal management technique used to protect coasts,by absorbing the energy of waves, preventing erosion and flooding. They are highly visible man-made structures used to stop or disrupt natural processes.
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Reservoir
stores water and controls the discharge of a river
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Deposition
occurs when the material being transported by the sea is dropped due to the sea losing energy
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Discharge
the quantity of water that passes a given point on a stream or a river-bank within a given period of time
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Drainage basin
A drainage basin is any area of land where precipitation collects and drains off into a common outlet, such as into a river, bay, or other body of water.
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Embankment
raised banks constructed along the river; they effectively make the river deeper so it can hold more water. They are expensive and do not look natural but they do protect the land around them.
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Estuary
the tidal mouth of a river where it meets the sea; wide banks of deposited mud are exposed at low tide
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Flood relief channel
building new artificial channels which is used when rivers are close to maximum discharge. They take the pressure off the main channels when floods are likely, therefore reducing the flood risk.
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Flood
occurs when the river discharge exceeds river channel capacity and water spills out of the channel onto the floodplain and other areas.
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Flood risk
the predicted frequency of floods in the area
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Flood plain
the relatively flat area forming the valley floor on either side of a river channel, which is sometimes flooded
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Flood plain zoning
this attempts to organise the flood defences on such a way that land that is near the river and often floods is not built on. This could be used for pastoral farming or playing fields. The areas that don't flood would be used to build houses,transpor
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Flood warning
providing reliable advance information about possible flooding. Flood warnings give people time to remove possessions and evacuate areas.
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Fluvial processes
processes relating to erosion, transport and deposition by a river.
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Gorge
a narrow,steep sided valley, often formed as a waterfall retreats upstream
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Hydraulic action
the force of the river against the banks can cause air to be trapped in cracks and crevices. The pressure weakens the banks and gradually wears it away.
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Hydrograph
a graph which shows the discharge of a river, related to rainfall over a period of time
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Interlocking spurs
a series of ridges projecting out on alternate sides of a valley around which a river winds its course
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Lateral erosion
sideways erosion by a river on the outside of a meander channel. It eventually leads to the widening of the valley and contributes to the formation of the floodplain
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Levee
embankment of sediment along the bank of a river. It may be formed naturally by regular flooding or be built up by people to protect the area from flooding.
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Load
the material transported by a river as bedload, suspended load or dissolved load (in solution).
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Long profile
the gradient of a river, from its source to its mouth
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Meander
a pronounced bend in a river
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Mouth
The place where a river enters a lake, larger river, or the ocean is called its mouth.
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Mudflats
are coastal wetlands that form in intertidal areas where sediments have been deposited by tides or rivers
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Ox-bow lake
an arc-shaped lake which has been cut off from a meandering river
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Plunge pool
is found at the bottom of a waterfall and is formed by erosion. As water drops over the waterfall then hits the ground beneath, it causes erosion, which forms a pool.
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Precipitation
s any form of moisture which falls to the earth. This includes rain, snow, hail and sleet. Precipitation occurs when water vapour cools. When the air reaches saturation point (also known as condensation point and dew point)
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Reservoir
is an artificial lake where water is stored. Most reservoirs are formed by constructing dams across rivers. A reservoir can also be formed from a natural lake whose outlet has been dammed to control the water level.
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Saltation
particles bouncing down the river bed
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Saltmarshes
is a coastal ecosystem in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and open saltwater or brackish water that is regularly flooded by the tides
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Solution
soluble particles are dissolved into the river
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Suspension
fine solid material held in water while the water is moving
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Source
farthest place in that river or stream from its estuary or confluence with another river, as measured along the course of the river.
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Traction
the rolling of boulders and pebbles along the river bed
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Transportation
the movement of eroded material
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Tributary
is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean.
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Velocity
The velocity of a river is the speed at which water flows along it.
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Vertical erosion
downward erosion of a river bed
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V-shaped valley
is formed by erosion from a river or stream over time.
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Waterfall
is a river or other body of water's steep fall over a rocky ledge into a plunge pool below. Waterfalls are also called cascades. The process of erosion, the wearing away of earth, plays an important part in the formation of waterfalls
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Watershed
The area that drains into a single river is the watershed for that river. Watershed can also mean a ridge, like that formed by a chain of mountains, which sends water to two different rivers on either side
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Wetlands
are lands that are wet for significant periods of time. They are common where water and land meet. Wetlands can be large flat areas or relatively small and steep areas.
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

shows how quickly the discharge rises after a rainstorm (the first part of a line graph)

Back

Rising limb

Card 3

Front

the highest recorded discharge following a rainfall event (the top of the line graph)

Back

Preview of the back of card 3

Card 4

Front

the time difference between the peak rainfall and peak discharge (measure the horizontal distance between the top of the highest rainfall bar to the top of the discharge line and note the difference in hours)

Back

Preview of the back of card 4

Card 5

Front

shows the reduced discharge once the main effect of runoff has passed (the last part of the line graph which is going down)

Back

Preview of the back of card 5
View more cards

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