Studied by 2 people
What is a drainage basin?
An area of land, drained by a river and its tributaries
What is a river source?
The place where a river begins
What is a river mouth?
The place where a river enters the sea
What is a tributary?
Small rivers or streams which enter a larger river
What is a confluence?
Where a tributary meets the main river
What is a watershed?
The boundary of a drainage basic, which usually follows a ridge of higher ground.
What is precipitation?
Rainfall, hail, sleet or snow
What is interception?
When vegetation delays or slows down the rate at which rainfall reaches the ground
What is surface storage?
When water is temporarily stored at the surface
What is infiltration?
The movement of water from the surface of the soil into the ground
What is percolation?
Water moving from soil into the underlying rocks
What is surface runoff?
Water which moves over the surface of the land
What is throughflow?
Water moving through soil towards a river
What is groundwater?
When groundwater in the rock flows towards a river.
What is evaporation?
When water is changed directly into steam
What is transpiration?
When water is changed to vapour directly in the leaves of vegetation
What is evapotranspiration
When water is changed to steam either through vegetation or through heat.
Features of the upper course
Narrow channel, shallow channel, vertical erosion, hydraulic action
Middle course features
Channel widens, lateral erosion, less hydraulic action, suspension meaning all transport can be seen.
Lower course features
Deep and wide channel, some lateral erosion, much deposition, mostly suspension.
What is river discharge?
The amount of water passing any point in a river in a certain time, as cubic metres of water per second(cumecs)
How do you calculate river discharge?
By multiplying the area of a river by the speed(velocity) of the river
What is hydraulic action?
A form of mechanical weathering caused by the force of moving water.
What is attrition?
The collision of rock fragments(in water) against one another, which then become smaller and smoother
What is abrasion/ corrasion?
The grinding of rock fragments, carried by the river, against the bed. It is most effective during powerful flooding.
What is solution/ corrosion?
The process by which a river chemically dissolves minerals and rocks in it.
What is saltation?
The bouncing of medium sized load, like small pebbles and stones, along the river bed
What is traction?
The rolling of large rocks along the river bed, using lots of energy. These rocks are called a bed load
What is solution?
When soluble minerals are dissolved in water and carried in solution. This changes the river’s colour sometimes, like in the mournes, where iron stains the water yellow/brown.
What is suspension?
The smallest load, fine sand and clay which is held up continually by the force of the river. This makes the river opaque.
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