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GCSE Geography · key term
A naturally raised embankment beside a river channel, built from sediment deposited during repeated floods.
Used by Edexcel and OCR
Specification 1.8 · Paper 1
A raised natural bank beside a river channel, built from sediment deposited during repeated floods.
Revise: River LandformsDeposition also produces natural levees. The heaviest material settles first, close to the channel, while finer material can be carried farther across the floodplain. Repeated floods build up raised banks beside the river.
Paper 1
Distinguish natural levees, built by repeated deposition during floods, from artificial flood embankments.
For levees, explain why larger sediment is deposited near the channel and why repeated floods build raised banks.
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A raised embankment built to reduce flooding from a river or surrounding water.
Sea walls can reduce coastal flooding from storm surges, while levees help keep surrounding water out of protected areas. However, protection is not a guarantee: water can exceed a defence’s capacity, and structures can fail. Building away from high-risk coastal areas reduces exposure rather than relying entirely on a barrier.
Specification 3.2a · Paper 1, Paper 3
Revise: River Landforms: Erosional and Depositional FeaturesOver many floods, the deposits nearest the channel accumulate into raised natural embankments called levees. Picture a cross-section from one side of the valley to the other: a relatively flat floodplain rises to a levee beside the channel, drops into the river, then rises to another levee on the opposite bank.