the probability of a flood event occurring and its potential impact

physical shape or features of the land's surface

the increase in the proportion of people living in cities and towns, often impacting natural land

long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns, often linked to human activity

Factors affecting flood risk

Geography

Changes in river landscapes along the course of a river

River processes of erosion, transportation and deposition

River landforms caused by erosion and deposition

Interaction of human and physical factors in river landscapes

The storm hydrograph

Costs and benefits of managing flood risk

Example of a river flood: River Eden, Cumbria (2015)

Using GIS to analyse river catchments and profiles

This unit teaches pupils about river processes and landforms. Pupils will learn about the physical processes operating in rivers and about the formation of distinctive landforms of river erosion and deposition. Pupils will also learn about the importance and options of river management.

River landscapes

How does urbanisation increase flood risk?

Fewer trees mean less water is absorbed by the soil.

Trees absorb more water, reducing the risk of flooding.

Trees block water flow, causing flooding.

How does deforestation contribute to flood risk?

Which human activity can help reduce flood risk?

Clay soils absorb water more slowly, increasing flood risk.

What role does geology and soil type play in flood risk?

Which river process involves the wearing down of the river's bed and banks?

Which landform is created by deposition in a river's lower course?

The amount of rainfall over a period of time

The river's discharge in response to a storm

What happens to a river’s velocity as it moves from the upper course to the lower course?

Which of these river landforms is typically found in the upper course?

What is the term for the process where materials carried by the river are dropped when the river slows down?

Starter Quiz

Which river process involves the wearing down of the river's bed and banks?