Terms

• What is a source?

  Where the river begins
• What is a mouth?

  Where the river leads to a larger body of water.
• What is a tributary river?

  A river that flows into a larger river.
• What is a confluence?

  Where a river and a tributary join
• What is hydraulic action?

  The sheer force of water forcing air into cracks and dislodging rocks.
• What is solution?

  When salts and acids in the water dissolves minerals in the rock.
• What is lateral erosion?

  Erosion that occurs on the outside bend of the meander.
• What is helicoidal flow?

  The movement of materials across a river channel.
• What is frost shattering?

  The pressure of water freezing in spaces in rock dislodges them
• What is traction?

  When large boulders and pebbles are rolled along the river bed making it deeper.
• What is abrasion?

  When the force of water throws rocks against the river banks causing erosion.
• What is vertical erosion?

  The wearing away and deepening of the river bed
• What are pools?

  Pools are areas of deeper water and this makes the outer bend of the meander deeper
• What is attrition?

  When the river causes rocks to hit off each other and break into smaller pieces.
• What is saltation?

  When small stones, pebbles and silt bounces along the river bed.
• What is differential erosion?

  Erosion that occurs at irregular rates.
• What is suspension?

  When fine material such as clay and sediment is carried by the river.