Rivers and UK Weather
Why Are Rivers Important?
Rivers are important for agriculture, industry, drinking water, habitats, food, recreation, transportation, and hydroelectric power.
Homework
Research a river in the UK and create a poster of facts and features.
What is a River?
A river is a natural stream of water flowing in a channel, eventually reaching the ocean or sea.
Rivers in the UK
Tasks:
Label the 10 rivers from the table onto your map.
Which river is the shortest? River Avon
Which river is located in the South East? River Thames
Calculate the range for the distance of the rivers in the UK.
Which river is the 3rd longest? River Trent
Which river is located furthest North? River Spey
Which rivers are located in Scotland? River Clyde, River Tay and River Spey
Which river do you think is the most important and why? Thames: located in the capital city can be used for trade, tourism and for accessibility.
Calculate the mean (average) length of the rivers in the UK listed in the table:
Why Build Around a River?
London was first built by the Romans because of its strategic value.
Factors explaining why we build close to a river:
Transport: Rivers allow you to transport products and goods, boosting the economy and enabling travel.
Fishing: Rivers offer a variety of fish species for food or trade.
Access to coastline: Provides access to seas and oceans for trade routes.
Water source: Essential for drinking and cleaning to sustain settlements.
The Thames – A Historic River
Important facts about the River Thames:
Main city: London
Key towns and cities: 16
Length: 215 miles
Main means of transporting materials: Barge
Shipping ports: 60 active ports
Fish species: 125 different species
London's drinking water from the Thames: 66% (2/3)
Plenary
Reasons why rivers are important to us.
The Water Cycle
Key terms:
Precipitation
Condensation
Evaporation
Clouds
Ocean
Transpiration
Surface Run-Off
The homework for this week is to research a river in the UK and produce a poster of facts and features. The best homework's will be going on the wall of excellence.
What is a River?
A river starts at the top which is the source (usually in the mountains) where the river is narrow and travels downwards till it reaches the end of the river called the mouth where the river is very wide (usually where the river meets the sea or ocean).
The Water Cycle
Key word box:
Clouds
Precipitation
Condensation
Percolation
Surface Run-Off
Transpiration
Ocean
Evaporation
Infiltration
Throughflow
Interception by plants
Condensation
Stemflow through plants
Surface storage (puddles, lakes)
Surface run off
Soil water
Throughflow
Percolation through rock
Groundwater
Groundwater flow
Sea
Evaporation
Precipitation
Infiltration
River
How Humans Influence The Water Cycle
Parts of the water cycle that humans can impact and effect:
Interception by plants
Infiltration
Surface Storage
River Channel
Part of the water cycle affected:
Interception by plants
What we do as humans: Cutting down trees (deforestation)
How does it impact on the water cycle: This reduces interception by plants meaning more water reaches the ground.
Infiltration
What we do as humans: Building over land means when water lands on ground it is not infiltrated into the soil
How does it impact on the water cycle: This increases surface run off and reduced the amount of water moving into the soil and groundwater
Surface storage
What we do as humans: We hold water in reservoir and dams for drinking water and recreation
How does it impact on the water cycle: This means less water goes back into rivers and seas as it is being stored.
River Channel
What we do as humans: We can alter the width of the channel to allow boats through.
How does it impact on the water cycle: This means the river may hold more water and flow faster reaching the sea quicker.
How Do River’s Shape The Land – River Processes
Key terms:
Erosion
Transportation
Deposition
Load
3 River Processes
Erosion – is the wearing away of material (rocks) by the river
Transportation – is the carrying of material (rocks) by the river
Deposition – the dropping of this material (rocks) by the river
Types of Erosion
There are 4 types of erosion:
Hydraulic action
Abrasion
Attrition
Solution
Type of Erosion
Hydraulic Action
Definition: The river water dissolves the rock material
Abrasion
Definition: When rocks floating in the water hit one another and wear away
Attrition
Definition: When pebbles and rocks on the bottom of the river grind against one another, wearing away
Solution
Definition: When the power of the water causes material to break apart
Types of Transportation
There are 4 types of transportation:
Traction
Saltation
Suspension
Solution
Suspension – light, small particles are floating and carried by river current
Traction – heavy materials roll along the bottom of the river
Saltation – pebbles are bounced along the bottom of the river
Solution – particles dissolved in river are carried in the current
Erosion and Transportation
Erosion
Attrition
Hydraulic action
Abrasion
Transportation
Saltation
Suspension
Traction
Chucks of rock are rolled along the river bed
Changes to the Load of a River
Load becomes smaller and rounder as you move from source to mouth because of erosion.
Load: Any material transported by a river.
Why does deposition occur?
The river loses energy and drops the load
What Landforms Do Rivers Create?
RIVERS CREATE:
WATERFALLS
MEANDERS
FLOODPLAINS
3 Courses of a River
The Upper Course
The Middle Course
The Lower Course
Waterfalls – Upper Course
What is a waterfall?
A waterfall is a steep drop in a river located in the upper course.
It occurs when the river flows over hard and soft types of rock.
Waterfalls leave behind gorges which are narrow steep sided valleys
Angel Falls in Venezuela, South America is the tallest on land waterfall in the world at 979m.
Formation of Waterfalls
Water flows over the hard androck and over time these are.
The soft rock erodesthan the rock and over time the hard rock is___ to create a ledge.
This eventually can no longer be supported andinto the wherecontinues.
This process then starts again and the waterfallupstream to form asided_.
KEY WORD BOX:
retreats
faster
erosion
hard
narrow
plunge pool
collapses
eroded
soft
undercut
gorge
River Profiles
DIY DEFINITIONS
From your own knowledge and the clues given try to come up with a definition of the long profile and cross profile of a river.
THE LONG PROFILE
The long profile of a river is a line representing the course of the river from its source to it’s mouth and the changes in height along its course.
The cross profile is a cross-section of a river's channel (from side to side) and the shape of the valley at certain points in the river's course.
MEANDER – MIDDLE COURSE
What is a meander?
A meander is a bend or loop in the channel of a river.
They are found in the Middle and Lower courses of a river.
They are formed from erosion and deposition
Erosion occurs on the outer bend of meander the river is fastest there
Deposition occurs on the inside bend where the river moves slower.
Cross Section of a Meander
Label your cross section of a meander. Use the words in the box to annotate the diagram correctly:
Deepest point of the river
Shallowest point in the river
Erosion occurs here
Deposition occurs here
Floodplain- Lower Course
What is a flood plain?
A floodplain is an area of flat land found next to the river channel.
When the river floods the water flows over the river banks onto this flood plain.
This is only found in the lower course as the land has to be flat.
Contour Recap
What does contours mean?
Contours are lines drawn on a map.
They join places which have the same height.
Most contours have their height marked on them.
The closer they are together the steeper the climb in height.
These contours are showing the shape of the hill and how steep it is.
Complete the OS map questions in your books using the OS map below.
How Can Rivers Affect Us?
Flooding can be seen in all the images.
Flooding can cause:
Injury
Loss of life
Destruction of property
Disruption of transport such as railway lines, roads etc.
What causes a flood?
Floods occur there is intensive rainfall and rivers become so full of water they overflow.
Causes of Floods
Deforestation - reduces interception increases surface run-off
Building on land – increases surface run-off as well as reducing infiltration
Intensive rainfall e.g. storms, hurricanes etc. – rivers fill up with water faster and overflow quicker
Rainfall over a long period of time - rivers fill up with water
Narrow river channels – more likely to overflow as it holds less water.
Effects of Flooding
Destruction of houses
Loss of life
Disruption to transport – roads and railway lines
Pollution
Economy affected as business are impacts
Fires from electrical lines
Key Term Definition:
Flood plain: An area of land that sits either side of the river and is covered with water when the river floods.
Deforestation: The action of chopping down/ clearing wide areas of trees
Urbanisation
Definition: The increase in the proportion of people living in urban areas compared to rural areas.
Bangladesh and China
Describe the *location of Bangladesh: Continent: Asia. It is located East of India and North East of Sri Lanka. Near to: China, Bhutan and Nepal. It’s capital is Dhaka.
Describe the location of China: Continent: Asia. It is located below Russia. Near to: West of the Pacific Ocean and North from India. Capital: Beijing
Bangladesh – Flooding
80% of Bangladesh is built on a floodplain.
Most of Bangladesh is covered by the Bengal Delta.
3 major rivers meet in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh is built on relatively low ground, only 1m above sea level.
Read through the facts below and decide which you think has the greatest effect and why?
China - Flooding
China's weather is influenced by the weather phenomena know as the El Nino, which brings with it large amount of rain the south is particularly effected.
Many lakes and floodplains in China have been developed to make room for cities.
Many dams have been built along the Yangtze river, reducing the amount of water which could flow through the river.
Read through the facts below and decide which you think has the greatest effect and why?
Short vs Long Terms
Over 57% of the land area was flooded.
Over 1300 people were killed
25 million people were made homeless and 7 million homes were destroyed
There was serious short age of drinking water and dry food
Diseases spread such as bronchitis and cholera/ diarrhea.
As the waters receded - it left fields of rotting crops, wrecked roads and destroyed villages
2 million tones of rice was destroyed.
½ million cattle and poultry were lost.
Overall the floods cost Bangladesh almost $1bn.
Impacts in China:
Flooding spread across seven provinces and claimed 22 lives. At least 3.7 million people had been affected by the disaster and 197,000 were displaced. At least 10,500 homes collapsed, and damage reached US$410 million.
Much of Eastern China suffered from flooding with areas along the Yangtze River experiencing the worst effects. More than 200,000 homes were damaged and economic losses reached US$4.4 billion.
On 2 July, 23 people were killed and 7 injured when a landslide engulfed a village in Bijie. 6,000 pigs had to be rescued from rising waters. Guangxi was flooded by the swollen Liu River. 35 people were killed after a landslide hit a village in the Kunlun Mountains.
Some areas in northern, central and eastern parts of China have been affected by severe weather, resulting in floods and landslides. There were 162 missing and 417 flood deaths were recorded.
What can be done about flooding?
Steps can be taken to manage flooding which is called river management. Often these steps involve trying to lengthen the amount of time it takes for water to reach the river channel, thereby reducing the risk of a flood.
Below are some of the different strategies.
Dams: Water is usually stored in a reservoir behind the dam. This water can then be used to generate hydroelectric power or for recreation purposes. Expensive to build. Afforestation: This is a relatively low cost option. Trees are planted in the catchment area to increase the time taken for rain to enter the river channel Barriers: Usually made from plastic or concrete. This physically blocks the water as it overflows the river bank. Relatively low cost option.
Yangtze River, China:
Flooding has been a big issue in China for many years. The river Yangtze has suffered from catastrophic floods and in 1931 over 3 million people died as a result of flooding. The Yangtze River is the 3rd largest river in the world and drains a drainage basin area of 1.8 million km2. Several measures have been used to manage flooding along the course of the Yangtze.
Dams (Positives):
Protects over 100 million people further downstream.
Controls river flooding more than any other method.
Has 32 hydro-electric generators that produce ‘green’ energy.
Improved river safety and transport through the river.
Dams (Negatives):
Most floods in recent years have been below the Three Gorges Dam area.
Geologists are concerned that the increased pressure caused by the water pressing against the walls of the dam has also increased the incidence of earthquakes.
Building the dam flooded 140 towns and forced over 1.2 million people to be relocated. They also lost their livelihoods as most were farmers and it was difficult for them to move to the city.
Levees and Embankments (Positives):
Less environmental impact.
Levees can ‘blend in’ to the natural landscape.
Designed to withstand a 10 to 30-year frequency flood.
Animal habitats are rarely destroyed.
Levees and Embankments (Negatives):
Many of the levees were used along the area where the Three Gorges Dam now exists.
The levees are only 15m high.
In 1998 the Yangtze flooded over the top of the levees and killed 3,000 people and left over 30 million people homeless.
Washlands (Positives):
Easy to construct as they only require sluice gates.
The land can be used for other things such as farming and as residential property.
Water is only allowed into the washlands when a major flood is imminent.
Floods are easily managed and controlled
There is less need to build further hard engineering methods along the course of the river.
Washlands (Negatives):
Some areas have become silted up due to their use as farmland.
Unless the washlands are maintained properly they might become unsuitable for use.
Some people live within the washlands and would need to be evacuated in the event of a major flood.
Land Use Zoning and Flood Warning Systems (Positives):
180 flood control monitoring stations warn people about potential flooding.
The system uses satellite and mobile phone technology to warn people to get to higher land.
The system cost £9 million and will hopefully help to save lives during flood events.
There is relatively little building or modification of the river required.
Land Use Zoning and Flood Warning Systems (Negatives):
Only prevents people from being killed in floods.
It does not protect property or the environment.
Many people who live close to the river are poor farmers and might not have access to modern technology.
Plenary Quiz
Hydraulic Action, Abrasion, Attrition, Solution
Traction, Saltation, Suspension, Solution
Waterfall
Deforestation, building over land and narrowing the channel
Pollution, destruction of homes and buildings, disruption to roads and railways and risk of fires.
Fishing, Transport and trade links, Water supply, Access to the coastline.
Abusing Rivers – Water Quality and Pollution
Clean water is important because of:
Biodiversity ensures species can survive in clean water
Sanitation clean water is needed for cleaning and washing
Drinking clean water needed to survive. Dirty water can encourage diseases such as cholera.
How Do We Abuse River?
Litter
Pollution
Oil spills
Fertiliser and pesticides increasing algal blooms
Dams – Hydroelectric power which impacts river flow
Destruction of habitats
Water Quality and Pollution
Human causes
Sewage
Fertilisers and Pesticides
Acid Rain
Oil spills
Natural causes
Volcanoes
Animal waste
Silt from floods
Algae
Water Quality and Pollution - Human Actions:
Dumping of industrial waste
Temperature rise
Deforestation – causing sediment and bacteria to appear beneath the soil contaminating ground water
Fertilisers entering the underwater system and accidental oil spills
Loss of biodiversity and ecosystems
Humans are harmed by drinking or using contaminated water.
Citarum River, Jakarta, Indonesia: The World's Most Polluted River
River abuse. People forage in and use the polluted water every day despite the potential for health risks.
River Abuse in the UK
The Thames Tributaries Tributary: 78% OF litter is single use. Number found in 100m
Food wrappers and packets – 39.25
Plastic bottles – 25.06
Plastic bags – 17.06
Bags of litter – 20 river cleans – 8 volunteers - 647 kg Litter weight – 2,899 items- 8,965
Southend-on-Sea (Beach Cleans)
Tiny Bits of Plastic found – 2,520
Bags of Litter – 4
Beach Cleans – 20
Volunteers - 256 Litter weight kg- 10,083 items. 4
Number found in 100m
Small Bits of Plastic – 559.79
Cotton buds- 208.75
Cigarette Stubs – 227.75
Pieces of Glass – 327.50
Large Bits of Plastic – 197.50.
The tidal Thames
Number found in 100M
Wet Wipes – 1,079.75
Small Bits of plastic – 52.75
Bits of clothing – 15.25
Sanitary towels – 15.25 Small bits of plastic – Large bits of plastic – 25.25
Tidal Thames –
River Cleans – 300
Bags Collected -
What is the difference between weather and climate?
Climate is the pattern of weather. It is over 30 years and is the _ rainfall and temperature of a place.
Weather is the day to day changes in , precipitation, wind , wind direction, cloud cover, and air __.
OVERALL
PRESSURE
MEASURED
SPEED
AVERAGE
TEMPERATURE
Weather or Climate?
Climate is the overall pattern of weather.
It is measured over 30 years and is the average rainfall and temperature of a place.
Weather is the day to day changes in temperature, precipitation, wind speed, wind direction, cloud cover, and air pressure.
Benefits and Hazards of Weather
Tourism
Flooding
Damage
Increased Crops
Icy Roads
The UK suffers from Extreme Weather which is increasing in its frequency.
Extreme Weather is a weather event that is different from normal weather.
Lightning
Thunderstorms
Torrential rain (very heavy)
Prolonged rain (rain over a long period)
Strong winds
Drought
Heatwaves
Heavy snow/blizzards
Extreme cold
Measuring the Weather
The Elements of the Weather
Wind (Force and direction)
Temperature
Precipitation
Humidity
Pressure
Clouds
Rainfall
Temperature
Wind Speed
Wind Direction
Wind Intensity
Air Pressure
Cloud Type
Measuring the Weather - Instruments
Precipitation (Rainfall) : Rain gauge (mm)
Temperature: Thermometer (°C)
Wind Direction: Wind Vane (Compass rose)
Wind Intensity : Beaufort Scale (Millibars ) 0-12
Air Pressure
Rainfall
Rainfall is a form of precipitation. Water vapour in the air is cooled and then condenses into water droplets. The rain gauge collects rainwater over a period of time and we can measure how much has fallen. The depth of the rain in millimetres can be read from the side of the container.
Temperature
Temperature is how hot or cold it is. Temperature is measured in degrees Celsius (°C) using a thermometer.
Wind Speed
To measure wind speed we use an anemometer.
The strength of the wind is measured in knots.
Wind Direction
Wind direction is reported by the direction it is blowing from, according to the compass.
Wind direction is often observed using a wind vane. It is measured using our compass rose points.
Wind Intensity
To measure the intensity of the wind we use the Beaufort Scale. It describes the effect of wind on the surface of the water as well as on a range of everyday objects on the land - from smoke to flags, trees and roof tiles. It measured from 0-12 in terms of force.
Clouds
Clouds come in many different types. Often the type of cloud can help us to understand what type of weather is moving in across an area. Clouds are categorised according to height and shape:
The main clouds: Stratus/These are layered clouds that are low, grey and shapeless.,Cumulus , Cumulonimbus, Cirrus
Presenting the Weather
There is some data underneath showing weather data for Zurich, Switzerland and London, UK. How could we display this data in a more visual way?
If we want to display both rainfall and temperature we can use a bar chart and line graph at the same time in a climate graph.
Climate graphs are used to show average temperature and rainfall for a particular place over the course of a year.
The red line shows temperature °C
The blue bars show the amount of rainfall per month mm
1) What is the maximum temperature?
2) What is the maximum rainfall?
3) What is the minimum temperature?
4) What is the minimum rainfall?
5) Describe the climate for the year in London?
On a weather forecast and weather maps there are often lots of different symbols used to represent the weather in different places.
Weather Symbols
Light Rain
*Heavy Rain, Mist. Sunny Day Sunny Intervals Thunder. Sleet. Cloudy Heavy Snow
Create a weather report for the UK to show the different ypes of weather occurring in the e UK
The water cycle
Why Is The West Wet?
Which area rains the most? Keswick or Newcastle?
What is the difference in total rainfall between the two places?
Which month has the highest rainfall in Keswick? How much rain fell?
Which month has the highest rainfall in Newcastle? How much rain fell?
Relief Rainfall
Using your knowledge from the Keswick mystery match the correct labels to the relief rainfall diagram.
Prevailing winds bring warm, moist air. Air is forced over high areas. Air cools and condenses: Clouds form and it rains. Air descends on the other side of the mountains. It warms up and becomes drier