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abrasion
afforestation
Erosion caused by pebbles or stones
rubbing against each other.
The planting of trees to reduce soil
erosion or to harvest the wood.
alluvium
aquifer
Name of any material (silt, gravel or
sand) deposited by a river or the sea.
A water carrying rock,
such as chalk.
arcuate
attrition
Nile Delta
A fan-shaped delta with lots of
distributaries spreading out to sea.
Erosion caused by rock particles rubbing
together as they are being transported.
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base flow
barrage
A type of dam
built across a
bay, river or
estuary.
The normal discharge of a river.
bird's foot delta
braided channel
Mississippi delta
A type of delta with a
few main distributaries
surrounded by narrow
borders of sediments,
stretching out to sea.
branching
channel
Artificial channel(s)
for diverting water
from a main river.
Deposited load around which a river
temporarily flows . Often found
in rivers where flow varies.
bridging point
The best place to build a bridge
across a stretch of water.
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cataracts
The steep
descent of
water in a river.
catchment area
An area of land over which rain falls to
feed a river – the drainage basin.
cavitation
channel
A type of erosion caused by bursting
bubbles in fast-flowing water courses.
A course which water flows
through, e.g. river or stream.
channel
flow
Water flowing
through rivers,
lakes and
streams.
channel storage
The storage of water in rivers,
lakes and streams.
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cloud
confluence
A visible mass of condensed
water vapour in the atmosphere.
The place where two streams or
rivers converge. It can also refer to
the body of water produced.
contour
A curved line on a
map which joins
places which are
the same height
above sea level.
course
The path of a river.
corrasion
A type of mechanical erosion of a
surface caused by rock particles
rubbing against it.
cross-valley profile
A cross-section of a valley, at
right angles to the stream. It
shows the changes in height.
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culvert
cuspate
A concrete river
channel which
straightens the
path of the river
and increases the
flow rate.
A type of river delta with very few
distributaries and an even spread of
deposition, e.g. the river Nile in Egypt.
cut-through
dam
A channel which diverts water from one
river basin to another, to avoid flooding.
A large wall built
to keep back
water and
sometimes to
generate
electricity.
delta
Nile delta
A river feature near the end of a
river, created by deposition.
dendritic
drainage
The most common form
of drainage pattern.
Name derives from
dendron (Latin for
tree).
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dendritic drainage
deposit
A tree-like pattern of drainage
starting from many points.
To drop or release.
deposition
desalination
The dropping of material which is being
transported by a river or the sea.
The extraction of salts and
minerals from water.
discharge
digitate
delta
Fingers of silt
deposited where
wave action is low
and river flow
dominant, forming
a shape of a
‘bird’s foot’.
The volume of
water carried
in a river.
width
depth
velocity
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dissolved load
distributary
The part of the load which is not
deposited because it is in solution. It is
carried out to sea with the river water.
A smaller off-shoot of a main river which
distributes water to the sea as the
river finishes its journey.
downstream
drainage basin
In the direction of the
flow of water.
drainage density
Low
density
High
density
A large area of
land drained by
a river and its
tributaries.
dry valley
Medium
density
Very High
density
The length of stream channel per unit
area of drainage basin.
A valley that no longer has a permanent
river. They have permeable rock
(limestone or chalk) as the bedrock.
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dumping
The dropping of a load by a river.
Environment
Agency
An organisation
which monitors the
performance of the
water authorities in
England and Wales.
erosion
estuary
The natural wearing away of river
banks and beds by a river.
A funnel-shaped tidal mouth of a
river.The freshwater of the river
meets tidal saltwater.
estuarine delta
evaporation
Death Valley California.
A delta that forms at the mouth of a long
narrow estuary, e.g. River Seine France.
The creation and escape of water
vapour due to the Sun heating water.
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evapotranspiration
transpiration
evaporation
falling limb
falling limb
The return of water from the land to the
atmosphere by transpiration from plants, and
by evaporation from the soil surface.
flash flood
A sudden and violent
flood usually in semiarid places.
The flood may occur
some distance from the
storm, giving little
warning of sudden
arrival.
floodplain
A flat, wide valley floor which is
prone to flooding by a river.
A part of a storm hydrograph where
the discharge is falling from its peak.
flood
Water which has burst the river banks
and overflowed onto nearby land.
flood management
The use of environmental information to
develop strategies for water management in a
river catchment area, e.g. River Exe to include
flood control in urban area of Exeter.
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flood risk
fluvial
The chances of a flood happening.
A term used when referring
to flowing water.
fog
fog
A cloud of water
droplets in the air
which reduces
visibility and
makes driving
hazardous.
A cloud of water droplets in the air which
reduces visibility and makes driving hazardous.
fresh water
gentle gradient
Non-salty water.
The gradient of a river in the
middle and lower stages.
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gorge
Colorado Gorge
A narrow, steep sided river valley.
gorge
Cheddar Gorge
A narrow, steep
sided river
valley.
gradient
gravity
Another name for 'slope'.
The main driving force behind the
drainage in a river basin.
groundwater
groundwater flow
Water that is below ground, but
not in underground streams.
When percolated water moves below
the water table to a river.
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groundwater storage
hard engineering
The storage of water in porous
underground rocks.
Building structures to prevent flooding
such as dams, reservoirs and culverts.
headward erosion
The erosion of the valley head, causing
the valley to lengthen upstream.
hydro-electric power
hydraulic
action
The force of
water in a river
flow; it causes
erosion.
hydrograph
Discharge curve
Rainfall
Electricity which is generated from
the power of moving water.
A graph of water level or
discharge over time.
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hydrological cycle
incised meander
The continuous circulation of water
between the land, sea and air.
A meander cut deep into a valley when the
river gains additional erosive power, e.g. with
rejuvenation and uplift of the land.
incised river
infiltration
precipitation
A channel cut deep into a valley when the river
gains additional erosive power, e.g. with
rejuvenation and uplift of the land.
interception
The movement of
water as it is
absorbed, and then
filtered through
the soil.
evaporation
run off
infiltration
interlocking spurs
canopy
intercept
The process of
rainwater being
collected on leaves.
litter
intercept
Interlocking ridges of land with
rivers flowing around them.
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irrigation
knickpoint
The supply of water to the land to
help the growth of crops.
A sudden break of slope in
the long profile of a river.
lag time
lateral erosion
Discharge curve
Lag time
Rainfall
A time delay between peak
rainfall and peak discharge.
Erosion which wears away the banks
of a river, widening the valley.
levée
load
A raised river bank made of large
particles deposited by a river
- it prevents flooding.
Material carried by a river.
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long profile
Upper Course
Middle Course
Lower Course
Vertical erosion
Headward erosion
V shaped valley
Waterfalls, torrents
Interlocking spurs
gorges, lakes
Lateral erosion
Transportation
Asymmetrical valley
river cliffs
truncated spurs
floodplain developing
Transportation
Deposition
Wide, flat valley
broad floodplain
ox-bow lakes
bluffs, deltas
lower
To record:
Plot a line
graph of the
river’s height
above sea/base
level against
distance from
the source.
Processes:
Features
A section along the course of a
river showing vertical changes.
The stage of a river which features
meanders, flood plains and deltas.
meander
misfit stream
A loop-like bend in a river created
by lateral erosion.
A stream which is too large or too small
for the valley through which it flows,
often as a result of climate change.
mist
mouth
A type of very low cloud
- not as dense as fog.
The place where a river flows
out into the ocean.
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neck of land
A narrow stretch of land with
water on both sides, e.g. land
inside a wide meander loop.
The part of a
waterfall that
will eventually
collapse.
pasture
oxbow
lake
A crescent shaped
lake formed by a
river breaking
across the neck of
a meander loop.
An area of continuous plant cover which
reduces run-off, e.g. a soft engineering
approach to flood control.
plunge pool
percolation
The movement of
water downwards
through soil and
rock.
overhang
Soil
Root zone
Rock with water percolating through
Water table
saturated rock
A deep pool into which the
waterfall flows.
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pools and riffles
point bar
Found where a river has alternate straight and
meandering sections. Pools are deeper areas
where sand and finer particles are deposited;
riffles are shallower areas of coarse deposits.
A deposit of sand or gravel on
the inside of a meander.
precipitation
radial
drainage
Where streams
radiate outwards
from a central
point.
Moisture falling from the
atmosphere or condensing from the
air, e.g. rain, sleet, snow, dew, hail.
radial drainage
rainwash
A radial pattern of drainage
starting from a central point.
A type of erosion
caused by rain - the
surface creep of soil
and weathered rock
down a slope. The
term can also refer
to material moved in
this way.
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rapids
recession limb
recession limb
Swift, turbulent water flow
in a stream or river.
Another name for the falling limb - the
part of a storm hydrograph where the
discharge is falling from its peak.
recreation
rejuvenation
Another name for 'leisure activity'.
relief channel
A lowering in the base
level of a river either
through land uplift or
fall in sea level.
rising limb
rising
limb
An artificial channel which diverts
water from the main river to
reduce the risk of flooding.
The part of a storm hydrograph where
the discharge is rising to its peak.
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river basin
river cliff
Another name for ‘drainage basin’.
A steep outer curve on the outside of a
meander, created by lateral erosion.
river cross-section
river mouth
. 137m
.151m
.183m
.208m
A ‘slice’ through the contours
of a river valley.
Where a river enters the sea. In larger
rivers it is often called an estuary.
river runoff
riverbank
Water leaving a river
and entering the sea.
The sides of a river channel.
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riverbed
river capture
The floor of a river channel.
Where headward erosion of a stream
breaks through the watershed and
the stream subsequently flows into
the adjacent drainage basin.
runoff
salination
Water that flows
from a drainage
area by overland
flow, throughflow
or groundwater
flow.
Build up of salts on, or near, the surface
of soil, caused by high evaporation
rates in dry climates.
saltation
saturated
Water flow
The bouncing of small particles
along a riverbed.
Porous rock when it
is full of water. The
amount of water is
determined by the
nature of the rock.
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sediment
settlement
Any solid material deposited by a river.
A group of buildings where people live.
Water supply and transport were
provided if it was built near a river.
short-term storage
Temporary water storage
due to interception.
slip-off slope
silt
Fine particles
which are larger
than clay, and
smaller than
sand.
soft engineering
Before
Earthen bank
After
A gentle slope on the inside of a meander
above the river level, caused by slower
moving water depositing its load.
Using natural processes to
prevent flooding and erosion.
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soil creep
soil moisture
The slow, gradual movement
of soil downhill.
The storage of water in soil.
solution
source
A type of erosion in which water dissolves
particles of limestone and chalk. The
dissolved material is carried out to sea.
The starting point of a
stream or river.
spring
A flow of water from a rock formation,
or from the surface of the Earth.
stem flow
A flow of rainwater from the
leaves of a tree, down the stem.
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storm hydrograph
storm surge
A graph which shows the change
in river discharge, due to rainfall.
Extra water in a river
resulting from a storm.
stream
A small river.
SUDS
‘Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems’ - using
soil, ponds or slow draining channels, rather
than plastic pipes to slow down urban drainage.
stream order
Stream
Order
Characteristics
First
Order
Not connected to
any other tributaries
Second
Order
Connected to one
other stream or
tributary
Third
Order
Where two second
order streams join
The numbering of streams
in a river network.
surface
run-off
A type of horizontal
transfer - water
flows overground to
rivers, lakes (or
lochs) or the sea.
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suspended load
suspension
Suspended particles carried with the mass of river water
Small particles that are
carried by a river.
Particles carried with the mass of
river water. Suspended particles
will eventually be dumped.
terraces
throughfall
A step extending along the side of the valley
formed either through climate change, or as a
result of uplift in the land surface or a
lowering of sea level.
Rainwater dripping from leaves.
throughflow
traction
When infiltrated water moves
through soil and weathered rock,
to enter a river.
The rolling and pushing of larger
particles along a riverbed.
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transpiration
trellis drainage
Loss of water vapour by plants,
mainly through pores.
A rectangular pattern of drainage
with parallel ridges and valleys.
transport
transportation
The movement of goods or people.
The natural movement of particles and
materials by a river.
tributary
undercutting
A stream which
flows into a river.
Erosion caused by the faster current
on the outside of a meander carving
away the bank of a river.
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upland
upper stage
Stage of a river which may feature interlocking spurs, waterfalls or rapids.
An area of higher ground.
upstream
urbanisation
In the direction of the source of the river against the flow of water.
Creation of impervious surfaces resulting in increased surface run-off.
urbanisation
valley
Development creating impervious
surfaces resulting in increased
surface run-off of rain.
An area of low
ground between hills
or mountains, often
carrying a river or
stream.
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valley
An area of low ground between hills or
mountains, often carrying a river or
stream.
vegetation storage
Temporary water storage in plants,
through interception.
valley head
The area at the top of a
river, near the source.
velocity
The speed of a river.
vertical erosion
vertical transfer
Erosion which deepens a valley.
The movement of water from the
surface into the ground.
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V-shaped
The classic shape of
a steep sided valley
created by a river.
water company
An business that manages water resources and waste services (e.g.
sewage) across a geographical region.
water table
The level below which, the ground is
saturated - the upper surface of the
groundwater.
waste disposal
The removal of waste. When a river is used for this
purpose, it often causes pollution and an increase in
water temperature.
water cycle
The movement of water between
the land, sea and air.
waterfall
The steep or vertical fall of
water in a river or stream.
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watershed
wind gap
High ground separating two drainage
basins.
A pass in an upland area through which no
river flows.
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