river processes and pressure

• What is the path of a river as it flows downhill called?

  Its course
• What are the three courses of a river?

  Upper, middle, and lower course
• What do rivers form as they flow downhill?

  Channels and valleys
• What processes do rivers perform on the landscape?

  Erode, transport, and deposit material
• How does the shape of a valley and channel change along a river?

  It changes based on erosion or deposition
• What does the long profile of a river show?

  How the gradient changes
• What does the cross profile of a river show?

  A cross-section of the river
• What are the characteristics of the upper course of a river?

  • Steep V-shaped valley
  • Narrow, shallow channel
  • High turbulence
  • Dominant vertical erosion
• What are the characteristics of the middle course of a river?

  • Gently sloping valley sides
  • Wider, deeper channel
  • Medium gradient
  • Dominant lateral erosion
• What are the characteristics of the lower course of a river?

  • Very wide, flat valley
  • Very wide, deep channel
  • High velocity
  • Large discharge
• What type of erosion is dominant in the upper course of a river?

  Vertical erosion
• What does vertical erosion do to the river valley?

  Deepens the valley, making it V-shaped
• What does lateral erosion do to the river valley?

  Widen the valley during meander formation
• What type of weathering occurs when temperatures alternate above and below 0°C?

  Freeze-thaw weathering
• How does freeze-thaw weathering affect rocks?

  It widens cracks and breaks up rocks
• What are the four processes of erosion in rivers?

  1. Hydraulic action
  2. Abrasion
  3. Attrition
  4. Solution
• What is hydraulic action?

  The force of water breaks rock particles away
• What is abrasion in river erosion?

  Eroded rocks scrape and rub against the channel
• What is attrition in river erosion?

  Eroded rocks smash into each other and break
• What is solution in river erosion?

  River water dissolves some types of rock
• What are the four processes of transportation in rivers?

  1. Traction
  2. Saltation
  3. Suspension
  4. Solution
• What is traction in river transportation?

  Large particles are pushed along the river bed
• What is saltation in river transportation?

  Pebble-sized particles are bounced along
• What is suspension in river transportation?

  Small particles are carried along by water
• What is solution in river transportation?

  Soluble materials dissolve and are carried
• What is deposition in river processes?

  • When a river drops eroded material
  • Happens when the river slows down
  • Influenced by volume, material amount, depth, and reaching the mouth
• What happens during flooding?

  River spills over its banks onto flood plain
• What causes the River Eden to flood?

  Common flooding in the Eden basin
• What are interlocking spurs?

  • Hillsides that interlock as rivers wind
  • Formed due to vertical erosion in upper course
  • Create steep-sided, V-shaped valleys
• How do meanders form in rivers?

  • Formed by erosion and deposition
  • Faster current on outside of bend causes erosion
  • Slower current on inside of bend causes deposition
• What is an ox-bow lake?

  • Formed from meanders over time
  • Erosion and deposition cut off meander
  • River flows along shortest course
• What are levees?

  • Natural embankments along river edges
  • Formed by deposition during floods
  • Heavy material deposited closest to river
• What is the significance of the River Eden's flooding?

  • Common occurrence in the Eden basin
  • Affects areas like Carlisle
  • Important for understanding river dynamics
• What should you not be afraid to draw in the exam?

  Diagrams of river landforms
• What does deposition build up in a river system?

  The flood plain
• What are levees?

  • Natural embankments along river channels
  • Raised bits that help contain floodwaters
• What happens during a flood regarding eroded material?

  It is deposited over the whole flood plain
• Where is the heaviest material deposited during a flood?

  Closest to the river channel
• What do levees help to create over time?

  Raised edges along the river channel
• What are deltas?

  Low-lying areas where a river meets the sea