1.3 River Landscapes & Processes (Edexcel GCSE Geography A)

A long profile shows the changes in a river's gradient from source to mouth.

True.

Most long profiles have a concave shape.

A cross profile is a cross-section from one bank of a river to the other.

The River Tees source is 754 metres above sea level.

Interlocking spurs are found in the upper course where the river starts to meander, forming ridges on alternating valley sides.

In the upper course, rivers are narrow and shallow.

False.

In the middle course, the river channel becomes wider and deeper.

Meanders increase in size with distance downstream.

The depositional landforms found in the lower course of the river are:

• Floodplains

• Natural levees

• Deltas

Sediment and alluvium make up most of the bedload in the lower course of the river.

A drought is a period of hot, dry weather with below-average rainfall.

Storms result in high rainfall levels, increasing the amount of water (discharge) in rivers and the risk of flooding.

False.

Droughts dry out the soil and make it impermeable, decreasing infiltration and increasing surface runoff and river discharge.

False.

Freeze-thaw weathering occurs in colder areas, such as Scotland.

Evaporation is the process of liquid water changing into water vapour.

False.

Climate factors, such as rainfall, temperature, and freeze-thaw cycles, can significantly impact river processes like erosion, transportation, and deposition.

False.

The frequency of major storms has increased in the UK. Between 2010 and 2014, there were 10 major storms. Between 2015 and 2020, there were 42 major storms.

The UK has a temperate climate.

The term used to describe the erosion of the soft rock underneath the hard rock in waterfall formation is undercutting.

True.

Abrasion is one of the main erosional processes in the formation of waterfalls and gorges.

A V-shaped valley is formed by vertical erosion cutting down into the river bed and deepening the river channel, while weathering and mass movement lead to material from the valley sides collapsing into the river, forming steep sides.

A meander is a bend in a river. The fastest flow on the outside of the bend leads to erosion and the formation of a river cliff. The slower flow on the inside of the bend leads to deposition and the formation of a slip-off slope.

False.

Oxbow lakes are formed when the river breaks through the neck of a meander during a flood, cutting off the meander from the main river channel.

A levee is a natural embankment formed along the banks of a river by the deposition of sediment during flooding.

False.

A floodplain is a flat expanse of land on either side of the river, formed by the migration of meanders together with the deposition of sediment during flooding.

False.

Deposition can occur in all sections of a river when the river does not have enough energy to carry materials.

Alluvium is the lighter materials, such as gravel, sand, and silt, carried and deposited by a river.

During the formation of an oxbow lake, the water usually breaks through the neck of a meander during a flood. This is the only time there is sufficient erosive power.

Urbanisation increases the amount of impermeable surfaces, leading to water flowing into drains and reaching rivers more rapidly, increasing the risk of flooding.

False.

Agriculture, such as clearing vegetation for crops and grazing, reduces interception and infiltration, increasing surface runoff and the amount of water reaching rivers.

Abstraction is the removal of water from a river for purposes such as irrigation or industry.

Abstraction reduces the discharge in the river, which may lead to increased deposition and a decrease in erosion.

False.

Solid and liquid industrial waste pollutes rivers, impacting the river ecosystem.

A flood (storm) hydrograph is a graph that shows the changes in river discharge after a storm event.

Lag time is the time between peak rainfall and peak discharge, as shown on a flood hydrograph.

False.

Both physical and human factors, such as urbanisation and agriculture, can increase the risk of flooding.

The recessional limb is part of a flood hydrograph that shows the decrease in river discharge after the peak discharge.

The global risk from flooding has increased significantly since 1960.

Hard engineering involves building structures or changing the river channel to manage floods.

Soft engineering works with natural processes of the river and surrounding environment to manage floods.

False.

Dams and reservoirs are examples of hard engineering because they are structures which have been built to manage the river.

Channelisation is the straightening of a river channel, which can increase the risk of flooding downstream.

A washland is an area left undeveloped so that floodwaters can flow into it, reducing discharge in the river channel downstream.

False.

Afforestation is a soft engineering method that reduces discharge by increasing infiltration and interception.

Floodplain zoning is a method that allows only certain land uses on the floodplain, reducing flood risk.

Embankments are structures built along the banks of a river to increase the capacity of the river and reduce the risk of flooding.

False.

Hard engineering methods, such as dams and reservoirs, can have a significant impact on the landscape by flooding river valleys and altering the natural appearance of the river.

A flood relief channel is a channel that allows some water to flow out of the main river channel, reducing the discharge and protecting areas in the immediate area, but potentially causing flooding elsewhere.

True.

The source of the River Tees is in the Pennines. Due to the high rainfall and saturated peat in the upper course, the River Tees does not have a single source.

A 'flashy' river is a river where the water level can rise very quickly after a period of heavy rain, such as the River Tees.

The 'Tees roll' or 'Tees wave' is the rapid rise in the River Tees' level, up to a metre in 15 minutes, after heavy rain.

False.

Reservoirs on the River Tees, such as Cow Green, reduce the discharge downstream of the dam.

A barrage is a structure built across a river to control the flow of water and reduce the risk of flooding.

In the 19th century, the meanders of the River Tees up to Stockton-on-Tees were removed, and the river was straightened to reduce the distance for boats and ease transportation.

False.

Flood control, such as flood gates, flood walls, gabions and dams have been used throughout the course of the River Tees.

Over 650,000 people live in the River Tees catchment area.

The bedrock in the upper course of the River Tees is impermeable.

Cow Green is the largest reservoir on the River Tees.