Studied by 26 people
Drainage basin
The whole area of land drained by a river and its tributaries
Source
The place where a river begins to flow.
Mouth
The point at which a river flows into the sea.
Floodplain
An area of flat land close to a river, which is covered with water when the river floods.
Sediment
Material that is carried or deposited by a river (e.g. boulders, pebbles, sand, mud)
Traction
Larger stones and rocks are rolled along the river bed.
Solution
Dissolved load is carried along as a solution. You cannot see it.
Erosion
The process that wears away the river bed and banks, or also particles which are being carried downstream in a river.
Saltation
Sand grains and small stones bounce along the river bed.
Suspension
Small particles of rock and soil are carried along in the water. They make it look muddy.
Abrasion
Sand and stones in the river scrape the bed and banks and wear them away.
Attrition
Rocks and stones knock together and wear each other away.
Solution
Water also dissolves soluble minerals from the bed and banks. This helps to break them up.
Hydraulic action
In a fast-flowing river, water is forced into cracks in the bank. Over time, it breaks up the bank.
Deposition
When material that has been carried by a river is dropped.
Transportation
The different processes by which the river carries sediment downstream.
Surface runoff
If the ground is hard, or very wet (saturated), the rainwater just runs along it.
Through flow
When water below ground flows sideways through the soil
Evaporation
The sun warms oceans, lakes and seas, turning water into a water vapour, a gas.
Condensation
The water vapour cools in the sky and turns back into water liquid.
Transpiration
When vegetation lose water
Precipitation
Any form of moisture falling from the sky e.g. rain, hail, sleet or snow
Watershed
An imaginary line through areas of high land. It separates the areas of land that are drained by two neighbouring river systems
Tributary
A smaller river that feeds into a larger river
Confluence
The place where a tributary joins the main river.
Gravitational potential energy
The energy that an object has due to its height above sea level.
Lateral erosion
Erosion which is taking place sideways
Vertical erosion
Erosion which is taking place downwards
Meander
A bend in a river
Note 
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