Rivers

Students should be able to explain the key hydrological features of rivers, such as their width, depth, flow speed, and discharge, as well as the characteristics of drainage basins, including watersheds, tributaries, and confluences. They should understand the processes occurring within a drainage basin, including interception, infiltration, throughflow, groundwater flow, evaporation, and overland flow. Students must demonstrate knowledge of how rivers erode, transport, and deposit materials, and describe the formation of landforms associated with these processes, including river valleys, long profiles, cross-sections, waterfalls, potholes, meanders, oxbow lakes, deltas, levees, and floodplains. Additionally, they should recognize the hazards posed by rivers, such as flooding and erosion, and the opportunities for human settlement on floodplains or deltas. Students must explain management strategies for mitigating the impacts of river flooding. A case study is required to illustrate the opportunities and hazards related to rivers and their management.