River thames

• How long is the River Thames?

  346 km
• Where is the source of the River Thames?

  Cotswold Hills
• Where is the mouth of the River Thames?

  North sea
• What type of river is the Thames and what are its 2 distinctive landscapes?

  - low land river

  - no typical upland feature eg. waterfalls gorges because the source is not that high above sea level (108)

  - meanders and river terraces
• Describe the formation of river terraces:

  The river Thames has flowed more or less on its present course since ice age that began ½ million years ago- temperature changes have led to advance and retreat of ice sheets and sea level changes

  Past sea level changes affected the power of the Thames to erode.

  When the sea level fell the river gained energy because it had to drop further to sea level and eroded downwards into its old floodplain (REJUVENATION)

  Sea level rose so the river lost its energy and began to deposit material on the floodplain

  This occurred each ice age - so each time it was rejuvenated it formed a new floodplain at a lower level.
• When was the Thames Barrier constructed and what does it do?

  - 1984

  - When high tides are forecasted, the gates on the barrier are raised to prevent tidal water from reaching London.
• What were the effects of the February 2014 Thames flood?

  - 5000 buildings destroyed in west London

  - thousands of people evacuated

  - clean up costs of £500 million
• What were the causes of the February 2014 Thames floods? (3)

  1. saturated soil after months of rain and high water level in the river.

  2. Winter 2013/2014 was the wettest in southern England

  3. due to Atlantic storms
• What is Barking riverside?

  - As London is under huge housing pressure, they have started building on flood plains.

  - However, at Barking, they are transforming the flood risk into a landscape feature by allowing water to spread naturally over the flood plain and fill local creeks.

  - Plants trees and parkland to increase interception.

  - Have raised residential areas to protect from flooding.
• What is the Jubilee river and what was its aims?

  - an artificial channel

  - designed to take overflow water from the Thames around Windsor and Eton.
• What were the disadvantages of the Jubilee river?

  - It takes a shorter route than the Thames so water reaches its destination faster.

  - It floods the areas further down the river very quickly.
• When was the Jubilee river built and at what cost?

  - 2002

  - £110 million ( the most expensive man made river in the UK)