Test Glossary: River Landscapes Key Terms
Now it's time to test yourself! See if you can complete the key terms for the following
definitions - then check yourself using your revision guide
..................................... – the process by which a river erodes its bed and banks as material carried
by the water scrapes away at them.
..................................... – the planting of trees in a drainage basin
..................................... - the process by which material in a river collides against each other
becoming rounder and smoother with distance downstream
..................................... – the straightening or deepening of a river to increase its efficiency.
..................................... – the point at which a smaller river (tributary) joins the main river
..................................... – where minerals in rocks are dissolved by water
..................................... – the cutting down of trees
..................................... – the dropping of a material when water loses energy
...................... ................................– the area of land drained by a river
..................................... – the volume of water flowing through a river at a given point in a given
time.
..................................... – raised banks by the side of a river to increase its capacity and reduce the
likelihood of flooding
..................................... – the wearing away and removal of material
...................... ................................– the flat area surrounding a river which will flood when a river
exceeds capacity
...................... ................. .....................– small channels built next to a river or leading away from
them to take excess water
..................................... – the steepness of the river bed
...................... ................................– the use of man-made structures to physically control flooding
...................... ................................– the force of water in the river hitting against the bed and banks
wearing them away
..................................... – the movement of water from the surface into the ground
..................................... – rocks which do not allow water to enter them
...................... ................................– where the hillsides on either side of a river jut out with the river
winding around in the upper course of a river
...................... ................................– governments allocate areas of land to different uses, according to
their level of flood risk
.....................................– these are naturally formed banks of material by the side of a river formed
by deposition when a river floods
...................... ................................– downward movement of material due to gravity
..................................... – the point at which a river enters the sea
...................... ................................– a horseshoe shaped feature formed due to the narrowing and
eventual erosion through the neck of a meander.
.....................................s – a bend in a river
...................... ................................– a steep bank formed by erosion on the outer bend of a meander
...................... ................................– a gently sloping bank found the inside bend of a meander
..................................... – the downward movement of material in a rotational manner when the
bottom of a valley side is eroded by a river.
...................... ................................– Working with nature to manage flooding (more sustainable and
cheaper option than hard engineering)
..................................... – the starting point of a river
..................................... – the increased build up of an urban area
...................... ................................– a steep sided valley found in the upper course of a river formed
due to vertical erosion
..................................... – a depression in the landscape through which a river flows
.....................................– the speed of flow in a river (measured in metres/second)
.....................................– areas on the floodplain which are allowed to flood
.....................................– a feature formed as water flows over a change in gradient in a vertical or
near vertical flow
.....................................– this marks the edge of a drainage basin and is the highest point of land
.....................................– breakdown and decay of rock ...................... ................................