What is a levee?
  • A wall built across a river to increase the height of the water up river
  • A structure built at right angles to the flow to build up sediment to protect a beach or wall
  • A ridge of sediment deposited alongside a river, or a manmade embankment to stop the river overflowing
  • The build-up of sediment in the middle of a river raising the river bed and causing the river to flood
In the upper course, as the river erodes rock away, tapering ridges are formed. What are these known as?
  • Meanders
  • Glaciers
  • Interlocking spurs
  • Breccias
Waterfalls are defined as water cascading from a height. But how do these river features often form?
  • Waterfalls form when rocks start to swirl round in the current and drill down through the hard layers of rock
  • Waterfalls form when rivers pick up velocity and need to distribute excess energy
  • Waterfalls only form when rock splits due to mountain forming processes
  • Waterfalls form when water flows over different bands of rock, eroding the soft rock and undercutting the hard rock
As a river moves from the mountains towards the sea its valley shape changes. How might you describe those changes?
  • The steep sided valley with a narrow channel becomes a wider valley and channel as the river moves towards the sea
  • The wide channel and the shallow valley become narrower and steeper as the river moves towards the sea
  • The river gains extra energy as it moves towards the sea and it cuts into the valley making it steeper
  • The river in the upper section cuts back the valley sides to form a wide u-shaped valley. As the river moves towards the sea the valley narrows but the channel widens
How do levees form?
  • As a river floods, once it leaves the channel the velocity drops and the heaviest material is deposited along the banks, causing a natural build-up of alluvium
  • As the river under cuts the bank the hydrostatic pressure forces the bank and bed to rise up
  • As rivers meander they leave behind high deposits of silt on the side of the rivers. These move out into the river and protect the banks
  • As rivers change levels, the change in velocity causes the river to drop its sediment load and a wall to form across the river
If you took a slice of a river from the source to the mouth this would be called what?
  • A cross profile
  • A long profile
  • A transect
  • A course line
What sort of features would you find in the upper course of a river?
  • Rapids, wide shallow river, and high energy meanders
  • V-shaped valley, interlocking spurs, and waterfalls
  • Deep incised valleys and U shaped profiles
  • Depositional structures, steep sided valleys, and sharp angular rocks
Which of the following is the typical order of features in a river, from its start to discharging into the sea?
  • Source, waterfall, meanders, rapids, estuary
  • Source, waterfall, rapids, meanders, estuary
  • Waterfall, estuary, meanders, rapids, source
  • Source, estuary, waterfalls, meanders, rapids
What shape would a typical cross section of a river in its upper course be?
  • Narrow and shallow
  • Wide and shallow
  • Narrow and deep
  • Wide and deep
Which of these areas is the most suitable for dams and reservoirs?
  • A very shallow and wide valley with soft geology on either side
  • A wide and shallow valley with settlements and structures built inside
  • A flat flood plain
  • A steep valley with hard geology on either side
0 h : 0 m : 1 s

Answered Not Answered Not Visited Correct : 0 Incorrect : 0