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River Eden case study

Where is it?

  • North west England between the Lake District and Pennines

Landforms

  • V-shaped valleys - 600 metres above sea level

  • Hell Force Waterfall - hard rock (limestone), soft rock (sandstone)

  • Meanders near Salkeld

  • Oxbow lake near Briggle Beck

  • Carlisle is built on the floodplain

Processes

  • Regular freezing in the winter near the source, leading to freeze thaw weathering

  • Intense rainfall can lead to landslides, so more material in the river

  • High river volumes can increase geomorphic processes

  • Limestone is vulnerable to chemical weathering

  • West of River Eden there is impermeable rock, making flooding more likely

  • Sandstone is prevalent in in middle+lower courses, increasing erosion

Human activity

  • 10km of flood walls + embankments along river

  • Castle Carrow Beck (south west of Carlisle)has been dammed to create a reservoir

  • Near Dalston (south of Carlisle) 1,000 trees have been planted

  • Restoration of the river from its previously straightened state (e.g artificial meanders created south west of Appleby - slows river flow)

River Eden case study

Where is it?

  • North west England between the Lake District and Pennines

Landforms

  • V-shaped valleys - 600 metres above sea level

  • Hell Force Waterfall - hard rock (limestone), soft rock (sandstone)

  • Meanders near Salkeld

  • Oxbow lake near Briggle Beck

  • Carlisle is built on the floodplain

Processes

  • Regular freezing in the winter near the source, leading to freeze thaw weathering

  • Intense rainfall can lead to landslides, so more material in the river

  • High river volumes can increase geomorphic processes

  • Limestone is vulnerable to chemical weathering

  • West of River Eden there is impermeable rock, making flooding more likely

  • Sandstone is prevalent in in middle+lower courses, increasing erosion

Human activity

  • 10km of flood walls + embankments along river

  • Castle Carrow Beck (south west of Carlisle)has been dammed to create a reservoir

  • Near Dalston (south of Carlisle) 1,000 trees have been planted

  • Restoration of the river from its previously straightened state (e.g artificial meanders created south west of Appleby - slows river flow)

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