Earth’s rivers
that water vapour is an important component of the Earth's atmosphere;
what is the course of the general atmosphere circulation and the associated diversity of rainfall in different climate zones and climate varieties on the Earth;
what types of precipitation and atmospheric deposits occur in nature.
show their sources, estuaries and tributaries;
explain the terms: main river, tributary, basin, catchment area, estuary, watershed;
describe how rivers are supplied;
explain what role rivers play in human life and economy;
show the largest rivers in the world on the map.
The water flowing on the surface of the land, driven by the force of gravity, can be called a stream, a brook, a river or generally a watercourse. It is difficult to precisely and explicitly determine the differences between them. Basically, it is considered that larger objects where a significant amount of water flows deserve to be called rivers. In Poland, it was conventionally assumed that rivers are supplied with water from an area called a river basinriver basin. The river basin is an area of at least 100 kmIndeks górny 22, from which surface waters fall into the river and its tributaries up to a place where this river falls into another river, sea or inland area.
A river that flows into the sea or an inland lake is a main rivermain river. Every smaller river or a stream supplying the selected river is its tributarytributary. The conventional line that encloses the basin is called watershed. The area from which all main rivers along with tributaries fall into one sea (ocean, inland lake), is a catchment area. The place where a river flows into a larger river, a lake, the sea or the ocean, is called a river mouth.
The following illustration shows the course of the river and related concepts. Do you already know them? If not, check. Can you explain them?
The importance of the rivers
Rivers are mainly supplied with groundwater, rainwater, melting glacial water and melting snow. In the moderate climate zone, rivers are usually supplied from two or even three sources.
From the human point of view, rivers are of great importance. They are sources of drinking water, fish and water necessary for various areas of the economy. They provide transport routes. After banking up, river water drives turbines in hydropower plants generating electricity. Formerly, rivers were also defensive lines in military sense. At present, they still often designate state, administrative or geographical borders.
Earth's rivers
The following are the five longest rivers in the world. Arrange them from the longest to the shortest one.
- Nile
- Yenisei
- Amazon
- Yangtze
- Mississippi
Rivers and related areas. Fill in the text.
watershed, main river, catchment area, tributary
The river that flows into the sea or the outflow lake is the ............................. Each smaller river or stream supplying the selected river is its ............................. The contractual line limiting the basin is called the ............................. The area from which all the main rivers together with the tributaries fall into one sea (ocean, lake without outflow), is a .............................
Choose the right answers describing the importance of rivers for the human economy.
- source of drinking water for people and animals and for irrigation of fields
- transport routes
- source of raw materials for the petrochemical industry
- boundaries of climatic zones
- driving electric turbines
- avoiding the risk of flooding
Keywords
river, watercourse, hydrosphere, watershed
Glossary
dopływ - rzeka lub strumień (potok) uchodzące do większej rzeki
dorzecze - obszar, z którego wody spływają do jednej rzeki i jej dopływów
główna rzeka - rzeka, która uchodzi do oceanu, morza lub jeziora bezodpływowego
ujście - jeden z typów ujścia rzeki czyli miejsca, w którym rzeka kończy swój bieg, wpadając do innej rzeki, jeziora lub morza