River Landforms Trivia Quiz

Answer: Oxbow

After a flood, when a river may change its form, meander cut-offs are left full of water. Over time, these lakes are filled with sediment leaving scars on the land surface. They are called oxbow lakes because they resemble the U-shaped piece of wood fitted around the neck of a harnessed ox.

Answer: Yazoo

The Mississippi River has many yazoo streams running alongside it. The yazoo stream flows along the larger river for some distance before a 'weakness' can be found in the levees along the river.

Answer: Pool-Riffle Sequence

The pool-riffle sequence has many interesting differentiations. Depth, width, velocity and sediment type are just a few of the properties which change between pools and riffles. The pool-riffle sequence slowly migrates downstream over time.

Answer: Intermittent Streambed

Also known as an ephemeral stream, wadis are generally found in desert areas, where they flow occasionally and sometimes discontinuously along their course. Only after rainstorms will a wadi flow as a river.

Answer: Braided

Braided channels are rivers where the flow passes through a number of interlaced branches that divide and rejoin. Specifically, anastomosing channels are stable, where the braided form is somewhat permanent. In other braided streams, the pattern changes regularly, with changing flow.

Answer: Birds Foot

The Mississippi delta, when seen on maps and satellite images, appears roughly the same shape as a bird's foot. This type of delta is caused by the large amounts of sediment carried by the river, which are deposited on and at the foot of the delta, causing it to grow outwards, sometimes in odd directions.

Answer: Eskers

Eskers can be hundreds of kilometres in length and 100 metres high. Eskers are essentially relic rivers, having meanders, tributaries and deltas associated with them.

Answer: Lateral Accretion

As bed sediments accumulate on the sides of rivers, usually on the inside of meanders, the river is forced further outward and cuts into the outside bank. This causes the river to migrate.

Answer: Overbank deposits

These fine particles can be deposited a great distance from the river itself, depending on the size of the flood. During large floods, it is possible for large sediments, such as pebbles or cobbles to be deposited on the floodplain.

Answer: Hydrograph

A hydrograph is a chart which documents the flow of a waterway. Recordings can be taken at many points on a river. The other options control a river's flow to help prevent flooding or maintain river and/or dam levels.