Parts of a River System Flashcards

Questions and Answers

What is the source of a river?

Where the river ends

A place where two rivers meet

Where the river starts (correct)

A small channel of water

What is a tributary?

A small channel of water that joins another channel.

What does confluence mean?

A place where two rivers meet.

What is the mouth of a river?

The end of the river where it meets the sea. Signup and view all the answers

What is a drainage basin?

An area that provides water to the main river channel through tributaries. Signup and view all the answers

What is a watershed?

An area that separates one drainage basin from another. Signup and view all the answers

What are distributaries?

Smaller channels formed when the river loses velocity at its mouth. Signup and view all the answers

What is a floodplain?

An area that is flooded when the river overflows its banks. Signup and view all the answers

What is a river system?

A main river channel and all the tributaries that contribute water to it. Signup and view all the answers

What is discharge in the context of a river?

The total amount of water passing through a channel at any given time. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Parts of a River System

Source: Origin point of a river, where it begins its journey.
Tributary: Smaller streams or rivers that flow into a main river, contributing to its water supply.
Confluence: Junction where two rivers converge, creating a larger waterway.
Mouth: Terminus of a river where it empties into a larger body of water, such as an ocean or sea.
Drainage Basin: Region that collects and channels water to a main river; includes all tributaries feeding into it.
Watershed: Elevated land that delineates different drainage basins; often formed by mountain ridges.
Distributaries: Smaller channels that branch off from the main river at its mouth, formed as the river slows and deposits sediment.
Flood Plain: Flat area adjacent to a river that becomes inundated during high water events, depositing fertile sediment.
River System: Comprises a primary river and its network of tributaries, illustrating the total hydrological dynamics of an area.
Discharge: Measure of water flow in a river channel, calculated by multiplying the cross-sectional area of the channel by the water's velocity, expressed in cubic meters per second.

Description

Test your knowledge of key terms related to river systems with these flashcards. From the source to the mouth, understand how rivers function and connect. Perfect for geography students and enthusiasts alike!