Try these eight questions in order. They ramp from reading a figure to evaluating a case, and all rivers and numbers are invented.
Use the timed original practice session builder if you want to add a clock.
Questions
Question 1
A river falls from 500 m to 200 m over 10 km. Calculate the gradient.
Answer
(500 − 200) ÷ 10 = 300 ÷ 10 = 30 m per km. Write the unit.
Question 2
Explain why a river carries coarse, angular stones in its upper course but fine silt in its lower course.
Answer
In the upper course the steep gradient gives high energy, so the river carries and erodes coarse stones that are still angular because they have travelled a short distance. Downstream, attrition rounds and shrinks the load, and the low-energy lower course drops the heavy pieces so that mostly fine silt remains.
Question 3
A cross-section shows a steep notched bank on one side and a gentle gravel slope on the other. Name the two features and the process at each.
Answer
The steep notched bank is a river cliff formed by undercutting (hydraulic action and abrasion) on the outside of a bend. The gentle gravel slope is a slip-off slope formed by deposition where the water is slow on the inside.
Question 4
A waterfall has hard limestone over soft mudstone. Describe how the fall moves upstream.
Answer
Water and swirling stones erode the soft mudstone faster, undercutting the limestone. The overhang loses support and collapses, and the fall retreats upstream, leaving a gorge. A plunge pool forms at the base where falling water is strong.
Question 5
Rainfall peaks at 0900 and discharge peaks at 1130. Give the lag time.
Answer
1130 − 0900 = 2 hours 30 minutes (2.5 hours).
Question 6
Catchment X has a peak of 30 m³/s and base flow of 8 m³/s. Catchment Y has a peak of 70 m³/s and base flow of 8 m³/s. Calculate the rise above base flow for each and suggest one reason for the difference.
Answer
X: 30 − 8 = 22 m³/s. Y: 70 − 8 = 62 m³/s.
Y may have more paved surfaces, so less water soaks in and more reaches the river as surface runoff. Steeper slopes or saturated soil are other reasons the data can support.
Question 7
State whether a hydrograph can be used to say “this river will flood on Saturday”. Explain in two sentences.
Answer
No. A hydrograph shows the response of one catchment to one storm, so it describes what happened under those conditions. A future flood depends on rainfall and ground conditions that the graph does not contain.
Question 8
A town can build a RM6 million embankment that protects 300 homes but floods a nearby wetland, or restore the upstream forest for RM1 million, which slows runoff over several years. Evaluate the two options and give a judgement.
Answer
The embankment gives fast protection for 300 homes, but it costs six times as much and removes natural flooding for the wetland. Restoration is cheaper and supports habitat, but it works slowly.
Judgement: if flood danger is immediate, build the embankment and add replanting for the long term. If there is time, restoration gives better value. State the condition your choice depends on.
If you got these wrong
- Questions 1 to 2: return to explaining erosion, transport and deposition along a supplied river profile.
- Questions 3 to 4: revisit connecting a river landform to the process evidence.
- Questions 5 to 7: use interpreting a hydrograph without making a real flood prediction.
- Question 8: read evaluating a river-management trade-off.
Record each miss in the mistake log and paper-error review. For a teacher to mark your answers, see online one-to-one Geography tuition.