Rivers

Rivers

1. Water Cycle

   • Stores
     • Channel Storage
     • Groundwater Storage
     • Surface runoff
     • Interception Storage
     • Surface Storage
   • Flows & Transfers
     • Infiltration
     • Percolation
     • Throughflow
     • Groundwater flow
     • Surface runoff
     • Channel flow

2. Drainage Basins

   • Watershed
   • Source
   • Confluence
   • Tributary
   • Channel
   • Mouth

3. Weathering

   • Mechanical
     • Freeze-thaw
   • Chemical
     • Carbonation
   • Biological
     • Living things

4. Course

   • Upper
     • Steep
     • V-shaped valley
     • Narrow, shallow channel
   • Middle
     • Medium
     • Gently sloping valley
     • Wider, deeper channel
   • Lower
     • Gentle
     • Very wide, flat valley
     • Wide, deep channel

5. Erosion

   • Hydraulic Action
   • Abrasion
   • Attrition
   • Solution

6. Transportation

   • Traction
   • Saltation
   • Suspension
   • Solution

7. Deposition

8. Landforms

   • Erosional and depositional river landforms
   • Meanders
     • Large bends in a river. The current is faster on the outside of the bend. More erosion happens on the outside of the bend. The current is slower on the inside of the bend. Eroded material is deposited on the inside of the bend.
   • Ox bow lakes
     • They start off as meanders. Erosion causes the outside bends to get closer until there's only a small bit of land left between the bends. The river breaks through this to take the fastest route. Deposition eventually cuts off the meander.
   • Flood Plains
   • Levees
   • Deltas

9. Hydrographs

   • Peak discharge
     • The highest discharge in the period of time you're looking at
   • Peak rainfall
   • Lag Time
     • The delay between peak rainfall and peak discharge
   • Rising Limb
     • The increase in river discharge as rainwater flows into the river
   • Falling Limb
     • The decrease in river discharge as the river returns to the  normal level
   • Impermeable rock
     • More runoff Shorter lag time
   • Dry or freezing conditions
     • Shorter lag time More runoff
   • Previously wet conditions
     • Shorter lag time More runoff
   • Steep slopes
     • Shorter lag time More runoff