River landscapes in the UK - key terms

Front

Abrasion

Back

Rocks carried along by the river wear down the river bed and banks.

Front

Attrition

Back

Rocks being carried by the river smash together and break into smaller, smoother and rounder particles.

Front

Cross profile

Back

The side to side cross-section of a river channel and/or valley.

Front

Dam and reservoir

Back

A barrier built across a valley to interrupt river flow and create a human-made lake (reservoir) which stores water and controls the discharge of the river.

Front

Discharge

Back

The quantity of water that passes a given point on a stream or riverbank within a given period of time.

Front

Embankments

Back

Raised banks constructed along the river; they make the river deeper so it can hold more water.

Front

Estuary

Back

The tidal mouth of a river where it meets the sea; wide banks of deposited mud are exposed at low tide.

Front

Flood

Back

Occurs when river discharge exceeds river channel capacity and water spills out of the channel onto the floodplain and other areas.

Front

Flood plain

Back

The relatively flat area forming the valley floor on either side of a river channel, which is sometimes flooded.

Front

Flood plain zoning

Back

Organising flood defences so that land near the river and often floods is not built on.