Key Terms

Question 1

precipitation

Answer 1

a form of moisture in the atmosphere such as rainfall, sleet, snow and fog

Question 2

Interception

Answer 2

the process whereby precipitation is prevented from falling onto the ground

Question 3

Surface runoff/overland flow

Answer 3

water which is moving over the surface of the land

Question 4

Infiltration

Answer 4

the movement of water into the soil from the earth’s surface

Question 5

Throughflow

Answer 5

water which is moving through the soil

Question 6

Percolation

Answer 6

the movement of water from the soil into the bedrock

Question 7

Groundwater flow

Answer 7

water which is moving horizontally through the bedrock towards a river

Question 8

Evapotranspiration

Answer 8

the process by which water is transferred from the land to the atmosphere by evaporation from surfaces, e.g. lakes, and by transpiration from plants

Question 9

Watershed

Answer 9

the boundary between drainage basins. It is often a ridge of high land

Question 10

Source

Answer 10

the starting point of a river. It may be a lake, glacier or marsh

Question 11

Tributary

Answer 11

a stream which flows into a large river

Question 12

Confluence

Answer 12

the point where two rivers meet

Question 13

River mouth

Answer 13

the end of a river where it meets the sea, ocean or lake

Question 14

Gradient

Answer 14

the slope over which the river loses height

Question 15

Depth

Answer 15

the distance from the surface of a river to the river bed

Question 16

Width

Answer 16

the measurement from one river bank to the other across a river channel

Question 17

Load

Answer 17

the sediment carried by a river

Question 18

River discharge

Answer 18

the amount of water in a river which is passing a certain point in a certain time. It is measured in cumecs (cubic metres per second)

Question 19

Erosion

Answer 19

wearing away of the landscape by the action of ice, wind and water

Question 20

Attrition

Answer 20

a process of erosion where transported particles hit against each other making the particles smaller and more rounded

Question 21

Abrasion

Answer 21

the wearing away of rock fragments carried by a river against the bed and banks of the river

Question 22

Hydraulic action

Answer 22

a form of erosion caused by the force of moving water. It undercuts riverbanks on the outside of meanders and forces air into cracks in exposed rocks

Question 23

Solution/corrosion

Answer 23

the process by which water reacts chemically with soluble minerals in the rocks and dissolves them

Question 24

Transportation

Answer 24

the movement of material across the Earth’s surface

Question 25

Suspension

Answer 25

the transportation of the smallest load, e.g. fine sand and clay which is held up continually within a river

Question 26

Saltation

Answer 26

the bouncing of medium-sized load, like small pebbles and stones, along the river bed

Question 27

Traction

Answer 27

the rolling of boulders and pebbles along the river bed

Question 28

Deposition

Answer 28

the dropping of material on the Earth's surface

Question 29

River landforms

Answer 29

large scale features found along the course of a river, such as waterfalls and meanders

Question 30

Waterfall

Answer 30

a steep fall of river water where its course crosses between different rock types, resulting in different rates of erosion

Question 31

Meander

Answer 31

a river landform. A sweeping curve or bend in the river's course

Question 32

Slip-off slope

Answer 32

a small feature seen on the outside of some meander bends which is caused by erosion of the river bank

Question 33

River cliff

Answer 33

the outside bank of a water channel (stream), which is continually undergoing erosion.

Question 34

Floodplain

Answer 34

an area of low-lying ground adjacent to a river, formed mainly of river sediments and subject to flooding.

Question 35

Levees

Answer 35

raised banks along a river that help to reduce the risk of flooding

Question 36

Flooding

Answer 36

a temporary covering by water of land which is normally dry

Question 37

River management

Answer 37

strategy aims to control rivers and reduce flood risk

Question 38

Hard-engineering methods

Answer 38

strategies to control a natural hazard which does not blend into the environment

Question 39

Dams

Answer 39

a barrier (made of earth, concrete or stone) built across a valley to interrupt river flow and create a man-made lake (reservoir) which stores water and controls the discharge of the river

Question 40

Flood walls

Answer 40

a stone/brick/cement wall built alongside a river to protect the nearby areas from flooding

Question 41

Soft engineering methods

Answer 41

a strategy to control a natural hazard which does blend into the environment so is often sustainable

Question 42

Washlands

Answer 42

the river is allowed to flood these areas. It could be farmland or recreational land close to settlements

Question 43

Land use zoning

Answer 43

when areas most likely to be flood are protected from urban development

Question 44

Afforestation

Answer 44

the planting of trees in an area that has not been forested before

Question 45

Levees

Answer 45

Raised banks along a river that help to reduce the risk of flooding.

Question 46

Water cycle

Answer 46

The continuous circulation of water between land, sea and air.

Question 47

Drainage basin

Answer 47

An area of land drained by a river and all of its tributaries.