Rivers

• Rivers begin in upland areas and make their way downhill to the sea.
• What physical processes can influence a river's landscape?

  Processes such as erosion, sedimentation, and weathering
• What is a drainage basin?

  The land that is drained by a river system
• Where do rivers begin?

  In upland areas, known as the source
• What happens to a river as it makes its way to the sea?

  The river channel and its valley experience a number of changes
• What is the mouth of a river?

  The point where the river flows into the sea
• What is the significance of the drainage basin in relation to rainfall?

  Any rain falling in the drainage basin will flow into another river basin
• What is the term for the main river channel?

  Main river channel
• What is a confluence in the context of rivers?

  The point where two rivers meet
• What is the source of a river?

  The starting point of the river
• What are the key components of a river system?

  • Source: where the river begins
  • Channel: the path the river flows through
  • Confluence: where two rivers meet
  • Mouth: where the river flows into the sea
  • Drainage basin: the land drained by the river system
• Weathering


  Breaking down of rocks by natural processes
• Mass movement


  when large amounts of land moves.
• River processes


  operative within the river. Some examples of this are erosion, transportation and deposition.
• Mass movement


  When material is moved down a slope under gravity, usually making the slopes less steep over time.
• What are the 3 key processes that operate within a river?

  Erosion, Transportation, Deposition
• Solution


  The water can dissolve rocks such as limestone and this is transported as a solution.
• Hydraulic Action


  This is where the force of the water wears away the bed and banks of the river.
• Deposition


  Layering down of a material
• Transportation


  River load is moved
• Erosion


  breaking down of a material.
• Attrition


  The rocks and pebbles that are transported by a river knock together and become smaller, more rounded and smoother the further down a river you go.
• Abrasion


  This is where rocks and pebbles that are carried along by the river scrape the banks and bed of a river like sandpaper, wearing them away.
• Another word for abrasion is corrasion.
• Another word for solution is corrosion.
• A river can transport its load in 4 ways. What are they?


  traction, saltation, suspension and solution.
• Suspension


  very small particles are carried along by the water.
• Traction


  Large rocks roll along the river bed.
• Saltation


  Small pebbles hop along the river bed.
• Solution


  some rocks dissolve in the water and are invisible.
• Rivers and its valleys can be divided into the upper, lower and middle course.
• What will a rivers long profile show?


  it will show the height and distance downstream.
• The profile of a river changes with distance downstream.
• Vertical erosion


  erosion downwards which makes the river deeper.
• Lateral erosion


  Erosion is sideways so the river gets water.
• A river's gradient is how steep it is.
• A river's gradient decreases as it flows downhill because the land becomes flatter.
• Rivers have a steeper gradient at their source than they do further downstream.
• Fall - vertical drop from one point to another
• A river's velocity increases as it flows downhill because there is more energy to move faster.