Geography Fieldwork Write-up
Analysis
Size of the Channel - the channel width grew larger the further downstream you were. This is shown on the diagrams of cross sections of the channel at 3 different points in the river. This is because of the higher discharge in the lower course of the river due to tributaries adding more water to the main river, therefore the river widens to be able to transport this extra water.
Relationship between Velocity and Discharge - The Spearman Rank Correlation Co-efficient suggested a strong positive relationship between velocity and discharge. In other words, the higher the velocity of the river, the higher the discharge of the river.
Roundness of the Load - the further down the river, the rounder the load was. This is because the further a rock has been in the river and has travelled in the river, the more erosion processes, such as abrasion and attrition, and transportation processes, such as saltation and traction, it will have been exposed. These processes will have gradually eroded the angular parts of the rock until eventually the rock is left roughly rounded. However there were notable anomalies to this theory, such as a rock which was picked up at survey site 10 (a site in the middle course of the river), being the most angular rock, measuring 50 on the R.I. scale (measured by Roundness Index) found in all parts of the river. You would have expected to find such an angular rock in the upper course of the river, where it would not have been exposed to so many erosion and transportation processes, which would explain why it was so angular. However, since it was found in the middle course, a possible explanation is that the rock may just have fallen into the river where it was found, for example it may have been glacial scree, in which case it would not have been exposed to these erosion and transportation processes, therefore this would explain it's angularity.
Analysis
Size of the Channel - the channel width grew larger the further downstream you were. This is shown on the diagrams of cross sections of the channel at 3 different points in the river. This is because of the higher discharge in the lower course of the river due to tributaries adding more water to the main river, therefore the river widens to be able to transport this extra water.
Relationship between Velocity and Discharge - The Spearman Rank Correlation Co-efficient suggested a strong positive relationship between velocity and discharge. In other words, the higher the velocity of the river, the higher the discharge of the river.
Roundness of the Load - the further down the river, the rounder the load was. This is because the further a rock has been in the river and has travelled in the river, the more erosion processes, such as abrasion and attrition, and transportation processes, such as saltation and traction, it will have been exposed. These processes will have gradually eroded the angular parts of the rock until eventually the rock is left roughly rounded. However there were notable anomalies to this theory, such as a rock which was picked up at survey site 10 (a site in the middle course of the river), being the most angular rock, measuring 50 on the R.I. scale (measured by Roundness Index) found in all parts of the river. You would have expected to find such an angular rock in the upper course of the river, where it would not have been exposed to so many erosion and transportation processes, which would explain why it was so angular. However, since it was found in the middle course, a possible explanation is that the rock may just have fallen into the river where it was found, for example it may have been glacial scree, in which case it would not have been exposed to these erosion and transportation processes, therefore this would explain it's angularity.
