Rivers and Coasts Flashcards

Flashcards about Rivers and Coasts

Erosion

The wearing away of land by natural forces.

Transportation

The process by which eroded material is moved from one place to another.

Deposition

The process by which sediment is laid down in a new location.

Source

The point where a river begins, typically in highlands.

Mouth

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

Upper Course

The stage of a river with a steep gradient and vertical erosion.

Middle Course

The stage of a river with a gentler gradient, leading to lateral erosion.

Lower Course

The final stage of a river, characterized by flat land and deposition.

Hydraulic action

The force of water and air compressing in cracks, breaking rock apart.

Abrasion

The process where rocks carried by the river scrape the bed and banks.

Attrition

The wearing down of rocks as they collide and break into smaller pieces.

Traction

The rolling of large boulders along the riverbed.

Saltation

The bouncing of pebbles along the riverbed.

Suspension

The carrying of fine materials within the water.

Solution

The transportation of dissolved minerals in water.

V-shaped valley

A valley with steep, sloping sides, formed by vertical erosion.

Waterfalls

A point in a river where water falls vertically, often formed by a change in rock type.

Meanders

A bend in a river, formed by lateral erosion and deposition.

Oxbow lakes

A curved lake formed when a meander is cut off from the river.

Floodplains

Flat areas alongside a river that flood easily and are covered in alluvium.

Levees

Raised river banks formed by repeated flooding.

Deltas

Triangular landforms at the river’s mouth formed by deposition of sediment.

Hard Engineering

Constructing dams and levees to control flooding

Soft Engineering

Using floodplain zoning and afforestation to manage flooding

Longshore drift

The movement of sand and sediment along the coast by wave action.

Erosional Landforms

Landforms such as cliffs, arches and stacks that result from coastal erosion

Depositional Landforms

Landforms such as beaches, spits and bars that result from coastal deposition

Hard Engineering

Building sea walls, groynes and rock armour to protect the coast

Soft Engineering

Beach nourishment and managed retreat used to protect the coast

Sustainable Coastal Management

An approach that aims to balance human use and natural protection of the coast