Distinctive Landscapes

Hydrological Cycle

The process of water moving around the Earth

Saturation

When the soil has so much water it cannot take more

Throughflow

When water in the soil flows downhill

Tributary

A smaller river that joins a larger one

Estuary

The area where a river meets the sea

Watershed

Highest point of a drainage basin

Confluence

The point where a tributary and river meet

Floodplain

An area easily flooded and does so often

Upper Course

The first part of a river

Middle Course

The section of the river in between upper and lower

Lower Course

The end of a river

Meanders

Broad, looping bends in a river

Weathering

The breaking down of rocks and other materials

Abrasion

When material being transported is eroded

Attrition

When material bumps against each other and wears down

Erosion

The geological process by which materials are worn away and transported

Transportation

The movement of substance

Deposition

Process in which sediment is laid down in new locations.

Saltation

Rocks transported by bouncing along the riverbed

Suspension

Transporting fine sediment in rivers

V-shaped valley

Valleys created by river eroding the bed

Waterfall

A physical feature formed when water goes over a cliff

Gorge

A narrow valley formed in between mountains due to receding rivers

Deltas

The wetland area that forms where the mouth is

Flooding

When water overflows over land

Peak Flow

The maximum amount of water a river can hold

Leveés

A ridge of sediment naturally deposited

Transpiration

When water escapes from leaves

Interception

When water is stopped by vegetation

Infiltration

When water seeps through the ground

Percolation

When water seeps through rock

Groundwater Flow

The flow of water through an aquifer

Evaporation

When water changes state into a gas

Source

The starting point of the river

Mouth

The boundary between the river and the sea

Hydraulic Action

When the force of the water breaks down rocks

Solution

When seawater dissolves some types of rocks

Traction

Rocks transported by rolling along the riverbed

Oxbow Lake

A meander cut off from the river due to deposition

Impermeable

Water cannot be absorbed and seep through

Permeable

Water can be absorbed and seep through

Discharge

The amount of water flowing through the river

Lag Time

The time between the rainfall and the discharge

Drainage Basin

The land area that contributes water to a stream

Landscape

An area perceived by the people whose character is the result of the action and interaction of natural and/or human factors