Geography GCSE
Hydraulic Action
What Hydraulic Action means in Geography GCSE, as defined for Pearson Edexcel.
Definitions of Hydraulic Action
Exam boards and our study guides word this term in slightly different ways. Learn the version your board uses.
The force of the river water colliding with rocks, compressing air in cracks and breaking the rock apart.
The force of the river water colliding with rocks, forcing air into cracks and breaking them apart.
The sheer force of water compressing air into cracks in the rock, causing the rock to break apart.
Topics that use Hydraulic Action
- A variety of physical processes interact to shape river landscapes (Pearson Edexcel GCSE)
- Coastal erosion and deposition create distinctive landforms within the coastal landscape (Pearson Edexcel GCSE)
- Erosion and deposition interacting with geology create distinctive landforms in river landscapes (Pearson Edexcel GCSE)
Related terms
- Abrasion
- Alluvium
- Discordant Coastline
- Hard Engineering
- Lag Time
- Longshore Drift
- Cap rock
- Constructive Wave
Using Hydraulic Action in the exam
Definition questions usually carry one or two marks, and examiners look for the precise wording. Write the definition from memory, check it against the version above, and then use the term in a longer answer on the same topic so it sticks.
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