This Geography quiz is called 'River Profiles' and it has been written by teachers to help you if you are studying the subject at middle school. Playing educational quizzes is a fabulous way to learn if you are in the 6th, 7th or 8th grade - aged 11 to 14.
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The course of a river is split into three areas - the upper stage, the middle stage and the lower stage. In the upper course the river is close to its source and is commonly in the hills or valleys traveling down a step gradient. At this stage the rocks it is carrying are large and angular. In the middle course the river is eroding its banks and starting to create the meanders that will carve out a floodplain.
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In the lower course the river is now close to the mouth, it can’t erode down into the land anymore and now it starts to deposit some of the load that was eroded from high above and that the river has been carrying. The rocks deposited here are smaller and smoother than those in the earlier parts of the river's course.
We can also look at rivers in cross section - the cross profile. From those high energy locations high in the mountains, through to the lower valleys, where all that energy is used to shape the geology around us.
The great thing about learning about river profiles is that it’s easy to think about this topic. Imagine you’re walking the length of the river. You start in the mountains, where the water is moving over rapids and flowing quickly through steep sided valleys. As you walk down to lower ground the river gets wider and deeper and the valley wider and flatter as the river starts to wind its way towards the sea, before discharging via its estuary.
How well do you know river profiles? Try this quiz to test your knowledge and see how much you understand.
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1.
|
Which of the following is the typical order of features in a river, from its start to discharging into the sea? |
|
[ ] |
Source, waterfall, meanders, rapids, estuary |
[ ] |
Source, waterfall, rapids, meanders, estuary |
[ ] |
Waterfall, estuary, meanders, rapids, source |
[ ] |
Source, estuary, waterfalls, meanders, rapids |
|
|
2.
|
If you took a slice of a river from the source to the mouth this would be called what? |
|
[ ] |
A cross profile |
[ ] |
A long profile |
[ ] |
A transect |
[ ] |
A course line |
|
|
3.
|
As a river moves from the mountains towards the sea its valley shape changes. How might you describe those changes? |
|
[ ] |
The steep sided valley with a narrow channel becomes a wider valley and channel as the river moves towards the sea |
[ ] |
The wide channel and the shallow valley become narrower and steeper as the river moves towards the sea |
[ ] |
The river gains extra energy as it moves towards the sea and it cuts into the valley making it steeper |
[ ] |
The river in the upper section cuts back the valley sides to form a wide u-shaped valley. As the river moves towards the sea the valley narrows but the channel widens |
|
|
4.
|
What shape would a typical cross section of a river in its upper course be? |
|
[ ] |
Narrow and shallow |
[ ] |
Wide and shallow |
[ ] |
Narrow and deep |
[ ] |
Wide and deep |
|
|
5.
|
Which of these areas is the most suitable for dams and reservoirs? |
|
[ ] |
A very shallow and wide valley with soft geology on either side |
[ ] |
A wide and shallow valley with settlements and structures built inside |
[ ] |
A flat flood plain |
[ ] |
A steep valley with hard geology on either side |
|
|
6.
|
What is a levee? |
|
[ ] |
A wall built across a river to increase the height of the water up river |
[ ] |
A structure built at right angles to the flow to build up sediment to protect a beach or wall |
[ ] |
A ridge of sediment deposited alongside a river, or a manmade embankment to stop the river overflowing |
[ ] |
The build-up of sediment in the middle of a river raising the river bed and causing the river to flood |
|
|
7.
|
How do levees form? |
|
[ ] |
As a river floods, once it leaves the channel the velocity drops and the heaviest material is deposited along the banks, causing a natural build-up of alluvium |
[ ] |
As the river under cuts the bank the hydrostatic pressure forces the bank and bed to rise up |
[ ] |
As rivers meander they leave behind high deposits of silt on the side of the rivers. These move out into the river and protect the banks |
[ ] |
As rivers change levels, the change in velocity causes the river to drop its sediment load and a wall to form across the river |
|
|
8.
|
What sort of features would you find in the upper course of a river? |
|
[ ] |
Rapids, wide shallow river, and high energy meanders |
[ ] |
V-shaped valley, interlocking spurs, and waterfalls |
[ ] |
Deep incised valleys and U shaped profiles |
[ ] |
Depositional structures, steep sided valleys, and sharp angular rocks |
|
|
9.
|
In the upper course, as the river erodes rock away, tapering ridges are formed. What are these known as? |
|
[ ] |
Meanders |
[ ] |
Glaciers |
[ ] |
Interlocking spurs |
[ ] |
Breccias |
|
|
10.
|
Waterfalls are defined as water cascading from a height. But how do these river features often form? |
|
[ ] |
Waterfalls form when rocks start to swirl round in the current and drill down through the hard layers of rock |
[ ] |
Waterfalls form when rivers pick up velocity and need to distribute excess energy |
[ ] |
Waterfalls only form when rock splits due to mountain forming processes |
[ ] |
Waterfalls form when water flows over different bands of rock, eroding the soft rock and undercutting the hard rock |
|
|
1.
|
Which of the following is the typical order of features in a river, from its start to discharging into the sea? |
|
[ ] |
Source, waterfall, meanders, rapids, estuary |
[x] |
Source, waterfall, rapids, meanders, estuary |
[ ] |
Waterfall, estuary, meanders, rapids, source |
[ ] |
Source, estuary, waterfalls, meanders, rapids |
|
|
2.
|
If you took a slice of a river from the source to the mouth this would be called what? |
|
[ ] |
A cross profile |
[x] |
A long profile |
[ ] |
A transect |
[ ] |
A course line |
|
|
3.
|
As a river moves from the mountains towards the sea its valley shape changes. How might you describe those changes? |
|
[x] |
The steep sided valley with a narrow channel becomes a wider valley and channel as the river moves towards the sea |
[ ] |
The wide channel and the shallow valley become narrower and steeper as the river moves towards the sea |
[ ] |
The river gains extra energy as it moves towards the sea and it cuts into the valley making it steeper |
[ ] |
The river in the upper section cuts back the valley sides to form a wide u-shaped valley. As the river moves towards the sea the valley narrows but the channel widens |
|
|
4.
|
What shape would a typical cross section of a river in its upper course be? |
|
[x] |
Narrow and shallow |
[ ] |
Wide and shallow |
[ ] |
Narrow and deep |
[ ] |
Wide and deep |
|
|
5.
|
Which of these areas is the most suitable for dams and reservoirs? |
|
[ ] |
A very shallow and wide valley with soft geology on either side |
[ ] |
A wide and shallow valley with settlements and structures built inside |
[ ] |
A flat flood plain |
[x] |
A steep valley with hard geology on either side |
|
|
6.
|
What is a levee? |
|
[ ] |
A wall built across a river to increase the height of the water up river |
[ ] |
A structure built at right angles to the flow to build up sediment to protect a beach or wall |
[x] |
A ridge of sediment deposited alongside a river, or a manmade embankment to stop the river overflowing |
[ ] |
The build-up of sediment in the middle of a river raising the river bed and causing the river to flood |
|
|
7.
|
How do levees form? |
|
[x] |
As a river floods, once it leaves the channel the velocity drops and the heaviest material is deposited along the banks, causing a natural build-up of alluvium |
[ ] |
As the river under cuts the bank the hydrostatic pressure forces the bank and bed to rise up |
[ ] |
As rivers meander they leave behind high deposits of silt on the side of the rivers. These move out into the river and protect the banks |
[ ] |
As rivers change levels, the change in velocity causes the river to drop its sediment load and a wall to form across the river |
|
|
8.
|
What sort of features would you find in the upper course of a river? |
|
[ ] |
Rapids, wide shallow river, and high energy meanders |
[x] |
V-shaped valley, interlocking spurs, and waterfalls |
[ ] |
Deep incised valleys and U shaped profiles |
[ ] |
Depositional structures, steep sided valleys, and sharp angular rocks |
|
|
9.
|
In the upper course, as the river erodes rock away, tapering ridges are formed. What are these known as? |
|
[ ] |
Meanders |
[ ] |
Glaciers |
[x] |
Interlocking spurs |
[ ] |
Breccias |
|
|
10.
|
Waterfalls are defined as water cascading from a height. But how do these river features often form? |
|
[ ] |
Waterfalls form when rocks start to swirl round in the current and drill down through the hard layers of rock |
[ ] |
Waterfalls form when rivers pick up velocity and need to distribute excess energy |
[ ] |
Waterfalls only form when rock splits due to mountain forming processes |
[x] |
Waterfalls form when water flows over different bands of rock, eroding the soft rock and undercutting the hard rock |
|
|