Flashcards
Water on Land Glossary
Cards in this deck (43)
- 1ChannelThe part of the river valley occupied by the water itself
- 2Hydraulic actionThe power of the volume of water moving in the river
- 3AbrasionOccurs when larger load carried by the river hits the bed and banks, causing bits to break off
- 4AttritionLoad carried by the river knocks into other parts of the load, so bits break off and make the material smaller
- 5SolutionThe dissolving of certain types of rock such as chalk and limestone by rainwater. This is a means of transportation as well as an erosion process
- 6LoadMaterial of any size carried by the river
- 7TractionThe rolling along of the largest rocks and boulders
- 8SaltationThe bouncing movement of small stones and grains of sand along the river bed
- 9SuspensionSmall material carried within the river
- 10Long profileA line representing the course of the river from its source (relatively high up) to its mouth where it ends, usually in a lake or the sea, and the changes in height along its course
- 11Cross profileA line that represents what it would be like to walk from one side of a valley, across the channel and up the other side
- 12WaterfallThe sudden, and often vertical, drop of a river along its course
- 13GorgeA narrow, steep-sided valley.
- 14MeanderA bend or curve in the river channel, often becoming sinuous where the loops are exaggerated
- 15Oxbow lakeA horseshoe or semi-circular area that represents the former course of a meander. Oxbow lakes are cut off from a supply of water and so will eventually become dry.
- 16FloodplainThe flat area adjacent to the river channel, especially in the lower part of the course. This is created as a natural area for water to spill onto when the river reaches the top of its banks
- 17LeveesRaised banks along the course of the river in its lower course. They are formed naturally but can be artificially increased in height
- 18DischargeThe volume of water passing a given point in a river at any moment in time
- 19Drainage basinArea from which a river gets its water. The boundary is marked by an imaginary line of highland known as a watershed
- 20Flood or storm hydrographA line graph drawn to show the discharge in a river in the aftermath of a period of rain
- 21FlashyA hydrograph that responds quickly to a period of rain so that it characteristically has a high peak and a short lag time
- 22ReliefHeight and slope of the land
- 23ImpermeableRock that does not allow water to soak into it
- 24PorousRock that has spaces (pores) between particles
- 25PerviousRock that allows water to pass through it via vertical joints and horizontal bedding planes
- 26DeforestationCutting down trees
- 27UrbanisationThe increase in the proportion of people living in cities, resulting in their growth
- 28FloodsThese occur when a river carries so much water that it cannot be contained by its banks and so it overflows on to surrounding land – its floodplain
- 29HazardAn event that occurs where people’s lives and property are threatened and deaths and/or damage result
- 30Soil erosionThe removal of the layer of soil above the rock where plants grow
- 31Hard engineeringThis strategy involves the use of technology in order to try to control rivers
- 32Soft engineeringThis option tries to work within the constraints of the natural river system and involves avoiding building on areas especially likely to flood, warning people of an impending flood and planting trees to increase lag time
- 33Multi-purpose projectA large-scale venture with more than one aim. Many water projects relate to flood control, water supply, irrigation and navigation
- 34Straightening meandersThese occur when the natural curve in a river’s course is left as the river follows an artificially more direct course that has been created for it, speeding up its flow out of an area
- 35Floodplain zoningControlling what is built on the floodplain so that areas that are at risk of flooding have low-value land uses
- 36EconomicThis relates to costs and finances at a variety of scales, from individuals up to government
- 37SocialThis category refers to people’s health, their lifestyle, community, etc
- 38EnvironmentalThis is the impact on our surroundings, including the land, water and air as well as features of the built up areas
- 39Water StressThis occurs when the amount of water available does not meet that required. This may be due to an inadequate supply at a particular time or it may relate to water quality
- 40Areas of deficitLocations where the rain that falls does not provide enough water on a permanent basis. Shortages may occur under certain conditions, e.g. long periods without rain.
- 41Areas of surplusAreas that have more water than is needed – often such as areas receive a high rainfall total, but have a relatively small population
- 42SustainableEnsuring that the provision of water is long term and that supplies can be maintained without harming the environment
- 43ConservationThe thought use of resources; managing the landscape in order to protect existing ecosystems and cultural features
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- GCSE Geography (Paper 1) Flashcards on Water on Land Glossary, created by Clare Magor on 26/03/2015.
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- Clare Magor
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