Rivers Key Words
Drainage Basins
The diagram shows 2 drainage basins.
Levee
Silt
Drainage basin
Velocity
Channel
Delta
Erosion
Meander
Tributary
Confluence
Transportation
Deposition
Where two rivers meet. together
The river water travels in this. It is narrower at the source
Land built up out to sea when a river drops sediment.
When a river drops the material it is carrying.
The speed of the water
Area of land drained by a river, also called a catchment area.
When rocks or soil are worn away in 4 different ways
4 ways in which rivers carry eroded material
Natural embankments of larger material deposited by floods
A bend in the river.
Small particles of rock which bring nutrients to the flood plain
A small river that joins the main river channel.


Draw in the boundary of each basin
Label a :
 watershed
 source
 tributary
 confluence
 mouth
Types of Erosion
Material carried by the
river rubs against its
banks and bed, wearing
them away.
Rocks carried by the
The sheer force of the
Water reacts with
river collide, break up
water crashing into the
chemicals in the rocks
into smaller pieces and
bed and banks breaks
slowly dissolving them.
Write the
definition into each
boxis most common in
become smoother and
thecorrect
rocks apart.
This
rounder.
limestone areas.
Types of Transportation
Large rocks and
boulders are pushed or
rolled along the river bed
as they are too large to
be picked up by the
water. Mainly in upper
course.
Small stones and large
grains of sand bounce
along the river bed as
they are small enough to
be lifted by the current
but too large to float in
the water. Upper to
middle course.
Long Profile of the River Severn
Source
Lighter particles such as
silt and small grains of
sand float in the water
and are carried
downstream. Middle to
lower course.
Minerals dissolved in the
water move along with
the flow of the river. All
along river course.
Mouth
Why do rivers Deposit Material?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Sea
Upper Course
Middle Course
Lower Course
Label the diagram to show the features and processes you would find in each stage
1. Vertical Erosion
2. Lateral Erosion
1. VERTICAL EROSION
This deepens the river valley and
channel, making it V shaped. It happens mostly in the upper course
2. LATERAL EROSION
This widens the river valley and
channel. It happens mostly in the
middle and lower course
Draw labelled diagrams to show how Ox-Bow Lakes are formed
Label the meander with words from the box below.
Deposition
Fastest Flow
Shallow Water
Slowest Flow
River Beach
Deep Water
River Cliff
Erosion
Flooding Key Words
Bank-full
Infiltration
Water table
Reservoir
Flood Plain
Surface run off
Dredging
Cholera & Typhoid
Hydrograph
Discharge
Embankments
Groundwater
Impermeable
Interception
Deforestation
Surplus
Permeable
Deficit
HEP
Lag time
A man made lor natural lake tor storing water
When the water in the river comes up to the top of the banks.
When trees are cut down.
Energy produced by building a dam across a river to turn turbines
Taking the silt out of the river bed to make the channel deeper
The amount of water in the river at a certain time. Measured in CUMECS.
Water stored in rocks deep underground.
A graph to show the discharge of a river.
Will not allow water to soak in e.g. Concrete surfaces
When rain water is caught by trees and plants.
The flat land either side of the river. Found in the middle and lower course.
More water than is needed in an area / usually north & west in UK
When water soaks into the ground.
Not enough water to meet demand in an area usually south east in UK
The time between peak rainfall and peak discharge.
Diseases that are caught through drinking dirty water
A surface that allows water to soak in.
When water runs directly into the river over the surface of the land.
Raised banks at the side of the river to prevent flooding
The level of the water under the ground this rises & falls
SUPPLY & DEMAND
CASE STUDY: RUTLAND WATER

A reservoir in the East Midlands

Built in the 1970’s to supply water to
cope with demand from rapid population growth in Peterborough

It covers 12 km2 area

Filled by 2 rivers:the River Welland
and the River Nene.

Areas around the reservoir are also
nature reserves and are used for recreation.
Flooding case-studies
Storm Hydrographs
1.
2.
3.
4.
Boscastle Floods MEDC
(Cornwall / South West UK)
What is the lag time for Clapham Beck?
What is the peak discharge for Austwick Beck?
Which stream is most likely to flood? Give 2 reasons.
Suggest 2 reasons why the lag time for Austwick Beck would be longer?
When
August 2004
February—March 2000
Natural Causes
Heavy rainfall leaving saturated soil
Boscastle is a valley between steep slopes
Jordan & Valency Rivers confluence in the
village and they both spilled their banks
River diverted through village underground
Heavy rainfall lasting 5 weeks
Low lying land, Mozambique is between
mountains & coast
Cyclone Eline a Cat 3 Tropical Storm
Human Causes
Impermeable surfaces e.g. Concrete car
parks & road surfaces
Deforestation on the slopes
Deforestation across the region
Zambia opened Kariba Dam to prevent flooding there which added to flooding
No Deaths
0
1070 - drowning, diarrhoea, snake bites
Primary Effects
75 cars & 6 buildings washed into the sea
100 homes & businesses destroyed
Trees uprooted & stuck under bridges increasing flood levels
Crops destroyed
20,000 cattle killed
Drinking water contaminated
300,000 homeless
Road and rail bridges swept away
Secondary Effects
Increased numbers of tourists visit village
once it is rebuilt as now famous.
Businesses lose out at first but then rebuilt
with insurance money & takings rise
1000s catch cholera
Subsistence farmers starve
Refugees pour into South Africa
People living in tents for months
Responses
150 saved by RAF helicopters
New overflow channel for River Valency
Visitor centre for tourists
New safer bridge built
14,000 airlifted to safety by helicopters from
S. Africa
5.8 Million donations from UK to repair
Tree planting to reduce surface run off
Factors affecting the chances of a flood
ys
Ph
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ica
rs
o
t
fac
an
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Hu
s
tor
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Mozambique LEDC
(South East Africa)
Example questions for Rivers & Flooding
1.
Name and describe 2 ways in which rivers transport material
marks)
(4
2.
Describe 3 reasons why rivers deposit material (3 marks)
3.
Draw a labelled diagram to explain how an ox-bow lake is formed (4 marks)
4.
Suggest two human causes of flooding (4 marks)
5.
Explain 2 ways in which rivers can be controlled to prevent flooding (6 marks)
6.
Describe the primary and secondary effects of flooding in rich and poor
parts of the world that you have studied (8 marks)
7.
Explain how the demand for water is met in the UK (8 marks)