Geography: Rivers

Front 1

Condensation

Back 1

When gas changes back to a water form due to cooling

Front 2

Infiltration

Back 2

When rain passes through soil vertically from the surface

Front 3

Evaporation

Back 3

When water changes back to a vapour form due to heat

Front 4

Surface flow

Back 4

When water goes over the surface but doesn't get soaked up.

Front 5

Through flow

Back 5

When water travels through soil horizontally (at an angle)

Front 6

Interception

Back 6

When the rainfall is stopped before it reaches the ground

Front 7

Percolation

Back 7

The movement of water through rock vertically into underlying rocks.

Front 8

States of water

Back 8

Ice (s)

Water (aq)

Vapour (g)

Front 9

Permeable

Back 9

This rock lets water pass through it

Front 10

Example of permeable rock

Back 10

limestone

Front 11

Impermeable

Back 11

This rock doesn't let water pass through it via pores.

Front 12

Examples of impermeable rock

Back 12

Granite, Marble, Slate

Front 13

Porous

Back 13

This rock lets water pass through its pores

Front 14

Examples of porous rock

Back 14

Chalk, Sandstone

Front 15

Saturation

Back 15

When the soil is full of moisture

Front 16

Water table

Back 16

The level at which saturation occurs in the ground or soil

Front 17

Groundwater

Back 17

water stored in rocks following percolation

Front 18

River Basin

Back 18

The area of land drained by a river system, also called a drainage basin

Front 19

Source

Back 19

The start of the river and is always found in the hills/ highground

Front 20

Mouth

Back 20

The end of the river where it flows into the sea.

Front 21

Tributary

Back 21

A smaller stream that flows into a larger river

Front 22

Point of confluence

Back 22

Where two rivers meet

Front 23

Watershed

Back 23

The highland divide between two drainage basins/ the boundary of the river basin.

Front 24

3 river processes

Back 24

Erosion

Transportation

Depositation

Front 25

Upper course of river

Back 25

Etd

Front 26

Middle course of river

Back 26

eTd

Front 27

Lower course of river

Back 27

etD

Front 28

wetted perimeter

Back 28

where the water comes into contact with the rivers banks and bed.

Front 29

Attrition

Back 29

When boulders and other materials are transported along the river bed and break into smaller pieces. It's more likely to occur in highlands. They become more rounded and reduce in size.

Front 30

Hydraulic action

Back 30

When the force of river dislodges particles from the river banks and bed.

Front 31

Corrasion (Abrasion)

Back 31

When smaller objects carried in the water rubs against the banks of the river. They are worn away by a sand papering action called abrasion.

Front 32

Where does corrasion occur? (section)

Back 32

Lowland areas by which time material will be broken up small enough to be carried in suspension. River banks are worn away by which time material will be broken up small enough to be carried in suspension.

Front 33

Corrosion (solution)

Back 33

When acids in the river dissolve rocks, such as limestone, which form the banks and bed. This may occur at any point of the river course

Front 34

Traction

Back 34

Rolling stones along the bed. Requires the most energy.

Front 35

Saltation

Back 35

Sand sized particles along the river bed in a 'leap frog' movement.

Front 36

Suspension

Back 36

silt and clay sized particles carried along with water flow.

Front 37

Solution

Back 37

Some minerals dissolve in the water (requires the least energy.

Front 38

Mnemonic for processes of transportation

Back 38

tr sa su so

Front 39

Erosion

Back 39

the wearing away of rock by water, wind or ice.

Front 40

Lateral erosion

Back 40

The river widening through erosion

Front 41

Basal/Verticle erosion

Back 41

The bed of the river getting deeper through erosion

Front 42

The load of the river

Back 42

The material carried by a river

Front 43

Hydraulic action

Back 43

air gets trapped in pores, water compresses it, water then releases the compressed air. This takes place 1000's of times and eventually the rock breaks off.

Front 44

Transportation

Back 44

movement of the load of the river downstream by the river.

Front 45

Cumecs

Back 45

cubic metres per second

Front 46

alluvium

Back 46

the deposited load of the river on the floodplain, the sides of the channel and bed of the channel.

Front 47

Interlocking spurs

Back 47

outcrops of resistant rock around which the mountain stream has to flow.

Front 48

Interlocking spurs found...

Back 48

the upper course, narrow steepsided, Vshaped valleys.

Front 49

Waterfall

Back 49

A steep drop in the gradient of the river over which the river falls.

Front 50

What causes a waterfall?

Back 50

When the river meets a band of softer rock after flowing over an area of a more resistant material.

Front 51

Gorge

Back 51

A vertically steep sided narrow valley in front of a waterfall.

Front 52

Meandre

Back 52

Bends in the river

Front 53

Sinous

Back 53

How bendy the river is.

Front 54

Helicoidal flow

Back 54

The water travels in a straight line, hits the outside bank (erodes it), sinks moves into the inside bank (low energy) deposits material and continues in this fashion around the meander bend.

Front 55

Thalweg

Back 55

the point of fastest flow

Front 56

Floodplain

Back 56

The area of flat land either side of the river that is covered by flood water when the river floods, it is comprised by layers of alluvium.

Front 57

Slip off slope

Back 57

area of deposition on the inside bank of a meander bend, all the material has been deposited by the river due to slower flowing water

Front 58

leveés

Back 58

natural embankment that comprises of layers of alluvium laid down after every period of flood- each layer adds to the next making them higher.

Front 59

Oxbow lake

Back 59

a cut off meander loop.

Front 60

Eyots/Chards

Back 60

An island made of deposited load material that has been deposited on the bed of the river because the load for the river is too large.

Front 61

Ria

Back 61

A drowned or flooded V shaped valley in an upland area at the coast .

Front 62

Estuary

Back 62

A drowned/flooded V shape valley in lowland area. Tidal, shallow and prone to deposition.

Front 63

Fjord

Back 63

A drowned u shaped valley in an upland area, only found on west coasts. Deep and narrow. Provide safe harbour.