GRADE 12 GEOMORPHOLOGY GUIDE 2022 WRITTEN BY: BRYAN SHINGANGESEOMORPHOLOGY GLOSSARY, River a ‘Ariver is a lange, natural siecam of flowing water Or A body of water flowing downslope ina defined cchannet from source to mouth NB: Know at least one of the two River the main river and its tributaries Refers to the area where the river and its Wibutaries drain water from. OF Refers to the area drained by the river System, NB: know only one of the two. Catchment area Refers to the drainage arca that supplies water tw river Tnfitation itis the movement of water Ente the ground Surface run-off Refers to the flow of water om the ground surface due excess infiltration Ground water Refers to water found underground River mouth Refers to where the river ends, It san ether be in w scar lake. Taibuiary Refers to a sirsain that feeds iio the larger niver Or ‘A.small river that joins the main river NB: Know af least one of the two Watershed ‘An area of high ground separating two drainage basins Invertiuve “high laying area separating (wo river valleys Drainage pattem Source/river source ‘Where the iver begins’ start ‘Confluence Refers to the point where two riversjoin, Itean also. bbe the point where the tribulary meets the min rive, Water bie Refers to the upper level of underground saturated rock Or NB: know only one of the two. Refrs to the boundary between the unsaturated zone sand saturated zone underground Refers to the way in 1 drainage basin, ich rivers are arvanged within Discharge! river discharge iis the amount of water Mowing in a river channet pasta point in a given time or Refers to the quantity of water that passes a given point on a river channel within a given period of time NB: know only one of the twoGeomorphology, » Geomorphology is the study of the physical processes and surface features of the Earth What happens to the precipitation that falls within a drainage basin? © The drainage basin is an open system, of inputs, stores, flows and output The drainage basin collects precipitation and allows water to seep into the ground through the process of infiltration to become underground water. water is stored in lakes in drainage basins, Ki ia draingy Catchment area River system Tributary ‘Watershed River mouth Source Confluence interfluve water table Ground water Surface run-off infiltration VV VY (NB: Check the definitions in the glossary on the first page)Important watersheds in South Afri Drakensberg mountains —separates rivers that separates the rivers flowing to the eastem plateau slopes and the orange river system Witwatersrand—Separates the Limpopo River system and the Vaal River system Types of Rivers We have four river types namely: * Permanent river > Periodic river » Episodic river > Exotic river ription of the rivers ~ Permanent river—this river touches/interseets the water table, so it flows all year round. For example, Tugela River ~ Periodic river—these type of rivers flows only during the rainy season and the sometimes run dry. For example, Vaal River and Palmiet River. = Episodic river—kind of river that flow after heavy rain, This river type often flows for hours to few days. E.g., Molopo river + Exotic river—river that begins in a high rainfall regions and flow into dry regions! area, Such as Orange River, Drainage patterns » A drainage pattern is the way in which the streams are arranged in the drainage basin ‘haps, rosk type "BeOS entre ound on helices ac Neal, walls, spurciteaves et) ‘They are related 1 geology and topography‘Types of Drainage patterns Dendritic pattern —tributaries join at neute angles. + Geology and topography—develops over uniform rocks of similar hardness (Such as Igneous rocks) ‘Trellis pattern—tributaries join the mainstream at right angles, © Geology and topographiy—devetops in areas of simple folded sedimentary rock Radial—streams Now away from a central high point, © Geology and topozraphy— This patter usually forms around buttes, volcano, or conical hills Rectangular pattern—tributaries have a bend and join the mainstream at right (90>) angles, * Geology and topography —develop in areas with hard rock that is well jointed Centripetal pattern—streams flow towards a low laying area they usually form towards a marsh, lake, or @ pan Deranged pattern—sinall stagnant streams that have no specified system + Geology and topography—develop in flat areas, offen due oan effect of glacial drift Parallel pattern—stream flow parallel to one another Geology and Topography —often they channeled by a ridge of hillsDrainage density. » Drainage density isthe tial length of streams per unit area of a drainage basin Factors that influence drainage density = evaporation rates + amount of rainfall + amount of infiltration + the hardness of the rock underneath the drainage basin area = gradient = soil type = rock type = vegetation + human activities Diseharge of a river + vogetation human acti laminar flow—flow of water in sheets without changing levels. = usually occur when the riverbed is even! smooth’ having.a sandy riverbed, turbulent flow—flow of water on bubbling motion, = it usually occurs when the riverbed is uneven! or having a change in levels! riverbed having rocks. Fluvial processes We have 1wo River profiles nameh itudinal ‘Transverse profile Longitudinal profile—is the side view of a river from its source to its mouthThree stages of'a river on a longitudinal profile: = the upper course/the young stage ~ the middle course/middle stage + the lower course/the old stage eee cme ye tbe mide eoune nile nape the wet ce te ‘The transverse profile—shows the shape of the river from one bank of the river to the opposite. Fluvial landforms: we first look at these two: Rapids and Waterfall > Fluvial landforms are fandforms created by the river Rapids—Turbutent flaw along small steps ina river ereates white water -Form when a river flow over hardires tant layer of rock that is inclined downstream, with uneven and rock surface Warterfalls- forms when a river crosses a horizontal or vet fall market al layer of resistant rock ealled a lip-or a -Headward erasion—river cutting back upstream, above its original course iydrautic action js force of flowing water that loosen and break rocks.= this is the chief erosion process. (Chief process in this case mean that it is the main form of erosion that occurs in the Muvial processes) Abrasion—this erosion occurs when the particles of sund and silt carried by a river seratch and, wear away the riverbed and the sides of the river channel ‘Traction—is when the boulders and large racks are pushed and rolled along the riverbed tion —is when smaller rocks are bounced slong the riverbed Suspension—is when silt and very small particles are carried within the flow of the river Fluvial landforms: we now look at the River meanders and Alluvial fans ‘Meancler—is a bend in a river channel = forms where the gradient is gradual (the other word for this is gentle) and the river Nlowing slowly, (It usually occurs in the lower course of the river which some calls the old stage) NB. (do not be confused, the old stage is the same as when you say the lower course)Alluvial fan—refers 1¢ deposition of silt as the river flows off the steep areas (such as mountains) onto the flatter plains. Fluvial Landforms which result of deposition/suspended particles + Flood plains—flat valley floor full of the silt from the riverbed + levees—taised banks of the river, formed by silt deposited by the river Braided streams—small islands formed in the middle the river channel from deposits of alluvium which thus separate the river into multiple channels, A braided stream+ Meanders—bends in the river channel - Oxbow lakes-sealed off meanders » when an oxbow lake dries up, it is then called a meander sear. ~ delta—is an area of low, flat land which the river divides into smaller channels before owing into the sea River Gradi ® A graded rivers a river that has achieved equilibrium between its gradient, volume and channel shaped, so that the river has just sufficient energy to flow with erosion rates in balance with deposition rates. ~ the longitudinal profile ofa graded river is concave because it is steeper al the upper course and becoming geniler towards the lower course + over graded river is a river that have excess energy and therefore erode their channels, + under graded river is a river that do not have enough energy to erode, flow and transport their load, this river often deposit the load they were carrying from the upper coursejuvenation of rive Process of rejuvenation > when a river is said to have rejuvenated it means that the river received additional energy and began to erode vertically. Therefore, rejuvenation is the process by which the river gains erosive power along its defined course. Why does rejuvenation oceur/ what causes of rejuvenation? ~ it occurs because of a sudden change in level of the riverbed due to isostatic uplift (rising of land/drop) - Knickpoint—is a sharp change in gradient along the course of a river located at the old sea level after isostatic uplift ora drop in sea Fevel. ~ Carrying capacity —Is the amount of material the river has the energy to transport ‘BluvinLwadforms resulting (rom Rejuvenation Valley within a valley—rejuvenated river begins to erode a new valley within a valley » River terraces ~are steps that show the level if the valley floor prior to rejuvenation Aviation ‘Alka torrseae (pair) > Knickpoint waterts {s 8 waterfall created by a sharp change in gradient© Entrenched or Incised meander—forms when a river maintains its meandering course, but vertical erosion leads to meander between steep valleys | | | > Ingrown meandee—refers to meanders that cuts sideways into the banks so that there is a slight overhang above the stream, River capture > River capture occurs when one river alters the watershed through headward erosion and steal the waters of the other river compelling the other river to change its direetion of flow. > there are the two main concepts associated with river capture: the concept of abstraction and the process of river eapture Features of River capture ~ Captor stream, also known as the pirate stream—this is the more energetic stream that eroded through the watershed and eaptured another stream = Captive stream—this is the less energetic stream that was captured by the captor stream, Do not get confused, the river that erodes backwards to steal the other river's water is called the captor stream. Therefore, the one whose water was stolen is called the captive stream. + Misfit stream, also known as the beheaded stream—refers to that stream which has lost its headwaters, and now having not enough volume of water to fill the original river valley.= Elbow of Capture -t changes direction and flow inte the eaptor stream + Wind gap—this refers to the part found between the elbow and the misfit stream that s is point where the capture occurred, here the captive stream is now dry and filled with rocks. NB; This was part of the original river valley of the captive stream before capture. Abstraction ¥ Abstraction is the process whereby the watershed becomes lower and its position gradient on-cach of the side of the Results of capture (Kindly refer to your textbook.)