Geography key words rivers

Condensation

water vapour (gas) turning into water droplets (liquid

Evaporation

- water (liquid) turning into a gas (water vapour)

Infiltration

Water entering the soil/rock

Surface run-off

water flowing over the land

Weathering

breakdown of rock

Abrasion

- type of erosion where sediment in water scrapes away at rock

Attrition

type of erosion where the sediment carried by the river get bashed into smaller, rounder pieces

Corrosion

type of erosion where chemicals in the water dissolve the roc

Gradient

angle of the land which affects the speed of the river flow

Hydraulic action

type of erosion where the force of water wears away roc

River long profile

side on view of a river’s course split into upper, middle and lower section

The load

sediment (pieces of rock) carried by river from large boulders to tiny grains of silt

Delta

landform made by river sediment deposited in the sea (at the mouth of a river)

Estuary

where the river water meets the sea water

levee

raised bank on the side of the river channel

Ox-bow lake

former meander cut off from river