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Geography 4
Glossary of Geography Unit The River

Key Vocabulary

body of water the parts of the Earth’s surface covered with water, such as a river,
a lake, a sea, or an ocean.
current the strong movement of a body of water in one direction.
delta an area where a river divides into several smaller rivers before flowing into
the sea. It is formed from the sediment deposited at the river mouth.
deposition the process in which layers of sediments, soil and rocks transported
by a river, are added to a landform over a period of time.
downstream in the direction of current.
downward towards a lower place or level.
dynamic constantly changing or active, with a lot of energy; opposite static.
(to) empty (of a river) to flow into the sea or a lake.
erosion the process by which the banks and the bed of a river are gradually
damaged by the action of the flowing water.
floodplain the wide, flat plain of a river valley that often floods when the water level
rises; it consists of sediments deposited by the river.
flood a large amount of water that covers an area that was dry before.
(to) flood to cover a land with water.
(to) flow (of a liquid) to move steadily and continuously in a current or stream.
fresh (of water) not salty.
gradient an inclined surface, a place where the ground slopes up or down.
landform a natural feature on the Earth’s surface such as a mountain or a river.
landscape an area of land that has particular features.
lower course the last section of a river where it flows into the sea, its channel
becomes wider and the deposition is the most important process.
middle course the section of a river where the channel grows in size; erosion and
deposition often occur.
plain a large area of flat land.
river mouth the place where a river is widest and flows into the sea.
sediment material such as sand, stones, that is carried in particles by water or wind.
(to) slow down to reduce speed.
transportation the action of the river that moves the eroded material downstream.
upper course the mountain stage of a river with steep gradients and erosion.
v-shaped valley a deep valley found in the upper course of a river, where the
water has considerable erosive power.
watercourse a river, canal or stream.

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