Key Terms : River Landscapes in the UK (AQA GCSE Geography): Revision Note
Exam code: 8035
Changing river shape - key terms glossary
Abrasion – A type of erosion where rocks and pebbles carried by river grind down the banks and bed like sandpaper.
Alluvium – Fine sediment (like silt and sand) deposited by a river, especially during floods.
Attrition – A process where rocks and pebbles collide and break into smaller, smoother pieces.
Cross profile – A cross-section of a river channel and valley, showing how their shapes change from upper to lower course.
Deposition – When a river loses energy and drops the sediment it is carrying.
Gradient – The slope of the riverbed, which is steepest in the upper course and flattens towards the lower course.
Hydraulic action – Erosion caused by the force of water hitting the banks and trapping air in cracks.
Lateral erosion – Erosion that widens the river valley, more dominant in the middle and lower course.
Long profile – A side view of a river from its source to mouth, showing changes in height.
Saltation – Small pebbles bouncing along the riverbed.
Solution (transport) – Minerals are dissolved in the water and carried along invisibly.
Suspension – Fine, light material is carried within the river's flow.
Traction – Large rocks rolled along the riverbed by the force of water.
Vertical erosion – Downward erosion that deepens the river valley, dominant in the upper course.
Fluvial landforms - key terms glossary
Floodplain – The wide, flat area of land either side of a river, formed by deposition during floods.
Gorge – A steep-sided valley formed by the retreat of a waterfall.
High Force – England’s tallest waterfall on the River Tees, formed over resistant dolerite rock.
Interlocking spurs – Ridges of land that the river winds around in the upper course.
Levees – Raised banks along the sides of a river channel formed by deposition during flooding.
Meander – A bend in a river, typically found in the middle and lower course.
Mudflats – Areas of fine sediment deposited at estuaries.
Oxbow lake – A curved lake formed when a meander is cut off from the main river channel.
Plunge pool – A deep pool at the base of a waterfall, formed by hydraulic action and abrasion.
River cliff – The steep outer bend of a meander formed by erosion.
Salt marsh – Coastal wetlands that form when mudflats build up and become vegetated.
Slip-off slope – A gentle slope on the inside bend of a meander where deposition occurs.
V-shaped valley – A steep-sided valley formed by vertical erosion in the upper course of a river.
Waterfall – A sudden drop in a river’s course, formed when hard rock overlays soft rock.
River management - key terms glossary
Afforestation – Planting trees to increase interception and reduce surface runoff.
Channel straightening – Engineering technique that removes meanders to speed up river flow.
Dams and reservoirs – Large barriers that control river flow and store water.
Embankments – Raised river banks designed to hold more water and reduce flood risk.
Flood forecasting – Using weather data and hydrographs to predict floods and warn communities.
Floodplain zoning – Controlling land use near rivers to minimise damage from floods.
Flood relief channels – Secondary channels built to divert excess water during floods.
Hard engineering – Building man-made structures to control natural processes (e.g. dams, embankments).
Hydrograph – A graph showing river discharge over time after a rainfall event.
Lag time – The time between peak rainfall and peak river discharge.
Peak discharge – The highest volume of water flowing in a river after rainfall.
Recessional limb – The part of the hydrograph that shows the river discharge decreasing after peak flow.
River restoration – Returning a river to its natural state to reduce flood risk and improve habitats.
Soft engineering – Managing rivers by working with natural processes (e.g. floodplain zoning, afforestation).
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