Abrasion - Rocks carried along by the river wear down the river bed and banks , Attrition - Rocks being carried by the river smash together and break into smaller, smoother and rounded particles , Cross profile - The side to side cross section of a river channel and/or valley , Discharge - The quantity of water that passes a given point on a stream or river bank within a given period of time,, Estuary - The tidal mouth of a river where it meets the sea. Wide banks of deposited mud exposed at low tide. , Flood plain - Relatively flat area forming the valley floor on either side of a river channel, which is sometimes flooded. , Fluvial processes - Processes relating to erosion, transportation and deposition by a river. , Gorge - A narrow, steep sided valley formed as a waterfall retreats upstream, , Hydraulic action - The force of the river against the banks can cause air to be trapped in cracks. The pressure weakens the banks and gradually wears it away., Hydrograph - A graph which shows the discharge of a river, related to rainfall over a period of time. , Interlocking spurs - A series of ridges projecting out on alternate sides of a valley and around which a river winds its course,, Lateral erosion - Sideways erosion on the outside of a meander channel. Eventually leads to formation of the flood plain. , Levees - Embankments of sediment along the bank of a river., Long profile - The gradient of a river from its source to its mouth., Meander - A pronounced bend in a river., Ox-bow lake - An arc shaped lake which has been cut off from a meandering river, Precipitation - Moisture falling from the atmosphere- rain, hail, sleet, snow. , Saltation - Particles bouncing down the river bed , Solution - Soluble particles are dissolved into the river. , Suspension - Fine, solid material held in the water whilst the water is moving., Traction - The rolling of boulders and pebbles along the river bed. , Vertical erosion - Downward erosion of a river bed, Waterfall - Sudden descent of a river over a vertical or very steep slope in its bed. Often forms where the river meets a band of softer rock. ,

AQA River processes

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