1. Rivers, climate and
vegetation
5th grade
BY PATRICIA VELASCO RICO

2. What is a river?
 Rivers are moving bodies of water.
River Thames

3. Where does a river originate?
 A river originates in the mountains,
and flows into a sea, a lake or another
river.

4. The river originates
in the mountains
The river flows into
a sea, a lake or
another river

5.  For example…
A river that flows into an ocean: River
Tajo

6.  For example
A river that flows into another river:
Guadarrama river flows into Tajo River.

7.  For example
A river that flows into a lake:
River Ter (Gerona) flows into Lago de
Bañolas

8. Elements of a river
- The course
 We can
Distinguish 3 - The flow
elements in
a river - The flow regime

9. What is the course of a river?
 The course of a river is the route
which a river takes from its source to
the mouth.This is
the
source of
the river
This is
the
mouth of
the river
This is the
COURSE of
the river

10.  There are
3 courses:
Upper course
Middle course
Lower course

11. Upper course
 It is near the source.
Here, the river is narrow.
The river bed is steep, so the water
moves fast

12. Middle course
 Here, the river is wider. The river bed
is flatter, so the water flows slowly.

13.  In the middle course, the river forms
curves. These curves are called
meanderings.
This is a
meandering

14. Lower course
 It is near the mouth of the river.
The river is wide here. The river bed is
very flat, so the water moves very
slowly.

15. What is the flow of a river?
 It is the amount of water that a river
carries.
The more precipitacion there is, the
greater the flow will be

16. What is flow regime?
 It is the flow pattern during the year.
◦ If the flow regime varies very little, it is
regular.
◦ If the flow regime varies a lot, it it irregular
River Ibia - Brasil

17. Torrents, lakes and reservoirs
 Water can also be found in other
places on the surface of the Earth.
◦ Torrents
◦ Lakes
◦ Reservoirs

18. Torrent
 They are streams of water which form
after heavy rains

19. Lakes
 They are large bodies of water
surrounded by land.

20. Reservoirs
 They are man – made lakes.
They produce energy, irrigate fields and
supply water to urban areas. Canals
and irrigation chanels are used for
transporting water from a reservoir to
other places

21. Reservoir in Hillsborough
County

22. What is a watershed?
 Rivers that flow into the same sea
belong to the same watershed
(vertiente).
 The rivers in Spain flow into three
different seas, in other words, they
belong to three watersheds:
◦ Cantabrian watershed
◦ Mediterranean watershed
◦ Atlantic watershed

23.  Meter imagen de vertientes
hidrográficas

24. Cantabrian Watershed
 It has short, swift rivers.
 They have a regular flow regime and
abundant flow.
 The most important rivers are the
Nervion, Saja, Navia and Nalón

25. Mediterranean watershed
 It occupies about one third of Spain.
 With the exception of the Ebro, the rivers
are short and have irregular regimes.
 During rainy seasons, they may overflow.
In the summer, they may dry up.
 The most important rivers are the
Ebro, the Júcar, the Segura and de
Llobregat

26. Ebro River
It is the most
plentiful river of
mediterranean
watershed

27. Atlantic watershed
 It occupies more than half area of Spain.
 The rivers have abundant flows and
regular flows regimes.
 In the summer they carry less water.
 The most important rivers are the Miño,
the Duero, the Tagus, the Guadiana and
the Guadalquivir