Abrasion
The grinding away of rock by other rock
particles carried in water, ice, or wind
Attrition
Process where rocks and stones bang together
and wear each other away.
Bedload
The heavier rocks and stones that
are carried along the bottom of a
river.
Channel
The part of the river that holds the water.
Collection
Process in the water cycle during
which streams and rivers carry
water back to the oceans
Condensation
The change of state from a gas to a liquid
Confluence
The point where two rivers join.
Delta
An area of low, flat land shaped like a triangle, where a river splits and
spreads out into several branches before entering the sea.
Deposition
The process where a river drops
(or deposits) its loads as it loses
energy on flatter land.
Erosion
Processes by which rock, sand,
and soil are broken down and
carried away.
Estuary
The wide river mouth where it flows into the sea
and fresh water mixes with saltwater.
Evaporation
The change of a substance from a liquid to a
gas
Flood
an overflowing of water in a normally dry
area
Floodplain
The flat land beside the river. (it may flood when
the river overflows)
Gorge
A narrow valley between hills or mountains, typically
with steep rocky walls and a stream running through it.
Groundwater
Water that fills the cracks and
spaces in underground soil and
rock layers.
Hydraulic action
The force of the water breaks
rock particles away from the river
channel
Impermeable
Not allowing fluids (like water) to pass
through.
Long profile
A side view of a river that shows how its slope
changes.
Lower course
Where a river's course becomes flat and
eventually reaches sea level.
Meander
A curve in a river that swings in wide loops from
side to side.
Middle course
Where a river's course becomes less steep.
Mouth (of a river)
The place where the river flows into a lake or
the ocean.
Name the four types of
precipitation
Rain, hail, sleet, snow
Oxbow lake
A meander that has been cut off from the
river
Permeable
Able to be passed or soaked through
Plunge pool
A pool at the base of a waterfall formed by
erosion
Precipitation
Any form of water that falls from clouds and
reaches Earth's surface.
Rapids
A section of a river where the water moves very
fast, often over rocks.
River bank
The land on each side of a river's channel.
River basin
The rain that falls in this area feeds the river.
River bed
The bottom of a river's channel.
Solution
Process where water dissolves
(breaks up) soluble minerals from
the bed and banks.
Source
Where the river starts (can be aspiring, a lake, a melting
glacier or a lowland where a lot of rain collects).
Suspension
Small light particles of rock and soil that are carried by a
river. (They make the river look cloudy or muddy)
Transport
Process where the river carries
away eroded material.
Tributary
Smaller rivers that join a main river.
Upper course
Where a river's slope is at its steepest.
Valley
An area with lower land on each side.
V-shaped valley
Valleys eroded due to fast-flowing water often
found in upland areas
Water cycle
The continuous process by which
water moves from Earth's surface
to the atmosphere and back
Waterfall
Where water tumbles over a ledge of hard
rock.
Watershed
The dividing line between one river basin and
the next. (usually a ridge of higher land).