AQA GCSE Geography (8035) · Spec 3.1.3.3
River landscapes in the UK
Read the notes, then try the questions. Each one is marked the moment you press Check, and shows the right answer and why.
Key ideas
- In the upper course the valley is a narrow V shape with steep sides and vertical erosion. Downstream the valley is wider with a flat floodplain.
- Rivers erode by hydraulic action, abrasion, attrition and solution. They transport material by traction, saltation, suspension and solution.
- A waterfall forms where hard rock lies over softer rock. The soft rock is undercut, a plunge pool forms, and the waterfall retreats to leave a gorge. A meander has erosion on the outside bend and deposition on the inside. If a meander neck is cut through, an ox-bow lake is left.
- Flood risk depends on physical factors such as heavy rain, steep slopes and impermeable rock, and on human factors such as building on the floodplain. A hydrograph shows river discharge over time, with a lag time between peak rainfall and peak discharge.
- Hard engineering includes dams, embankments and flood relief channels. Soft engineering includes flood warnings, floodplain zoning and planting trees.
Key terms
- Floodplain
- The flat land next to a river that floods when the river overflows.
- Lag time
- The time between the peak of the rainfall and the peak of the river's flow.
- Meander
- A bend in a river.
- Levee
- A natural raised bank built from sediment deposited when a river floods.
- Hard engineering
- Building structures, such as dams or embankments, to control a river.
- Soft engineering
- Working with nature to reduce flooding, such as zoning and warnings.
Common mistakes
- Saying erosion is on the inside bend of a meander. The fastest flow is on the outside bend, where erosion takes place. Deposition is on the inside bend.
- Describing a waterfall as just water falling over a cliff. It needs hard rock over soft rock.
- Listing human factors, such as urbanisation, as physical causes of flooding.
Exam tip
For the 4-mark formation question, use a labelled sequence of diagrams or write the stages in order with a reason for each. For the 6-mark question, include named detail from your UK river example.
Free practice questions
6 questions, 15 marks. Answer, then press Check. The marking guide explains how the marks are worked out. Nothing is saved.
- Question 1 · Multiple choice[1 mark]
Which describes the typical valley cross profile in the upper course of a river?
- Question 2 · Multiple choice[1 mark]
Which arrangement of rock helps a waterfall to form on a river?
- Question 3 · Fill the gaps[2 marks]
Vertical erosion upstream cuts a ___-shaped valley, while downstream the valley has a wide, flat ___.
Word bank: floodplain · V · U
- Question 4 · Fill the gaps[2 marks]
Where hard rock lies over soft rock, the soft rock is ___ and a ___ pool forms before the waterfall retreats.
Word bank: deposited · undercut · plunge
- Question 5 · Sort into groups[6 marks]
Sort each flood management method into hard engineering or soft engineering.
Dam and reservoir
Embankments
Flood warnings
Floodplain zoning
Flood relief channel
Planting trees
- Question 6 · Matching[3 marks]
Match each river erosion process to its description.