Common River Terms Source The place where a

Common River Terms • Source – The place where a river begins. • Course – The route the river takes to the sea • Tributary – A small river that joins a larger river. • Confluence – The point where the tributary joins the river.

Common River Terms • Mouth – The point where the river enters the sea. • Estuary – The part of the mouth that is tidal. • Basin – The area of land drained by a river. • Watershed – The high ground separating one river basin from another.

The River’s Journey • Rivers usually begin in the mountains. • They flow downhill onto flat land into the sea.

The Shannon’s Journey • The River Shannon is Ireland’s longest river. • It flows from the Cuilcagh Mountains in Co. Leitrim to the Atlantic Ocean on the west coast of Ireland.

The Stages of a River’s Journey • As the river flows from it’s source to the sea it goes through 3 stages. These are, • The Upper or Youthful Stage • The Middle or Mature Stage • The Lower or Old Stage

The Youthful River • The youthful river has a small amount of water but it travels very quickly down the steep mountain slope. • Most of its energy is used to erode (wear away) the landscape. • This erosion (wearing away) occurs in 4 ways.

4 Processes of River Erosion • Hydraulic Action – The force of the moving water wears away the banks and bed of the river. • Abrasion – Small stones carried by the river wear away at the banks and bed of the river.

4 Processes of River Erosion • Attrition – The small stones in the river are worn down and broken up as they hit off each other. • Solution – Rocks and soil are dissolved by acids in the water.