Water on the Land
WALT: Know what a river basin looks like and identify the main features. Start to look at how rivers shape the land. WILF: Accurate diagrams and descriptions. Knowledge of how rivers shape the land.
Which River is associated with these cities?
New York London Glasgow Liverpool Newcastle Cairo Paris New Orleans Bristol Hudson Thames Clyde Mersey Tyne Nile Seine Mississippi Severn
The Drainage Basin
Sketch the diagram and use pg 4-5 in Key Geography to help you add the following labels: Mouth Source Watershed Confluence Tributaries Main channel
The Drainage Basin
Drainage Basins
The long profile of a river
The upper course has a steep gradient
The lower course has a more gentle gradient
Long profile of a river
A. Upper Vertical erosion Deep channel V shaped valley Narrow Interlocking spurs Fast flowing rapids Waterfalls Gorges
B. Middle Lateral erosion Shallower channel Wider channel Slower flow Floodplain Meanders River cliff
C. Lower Deposition Very shallow Very wide Very slow carrying small particles Ox-bow lakes Braiding Estuaries Deltas
The different stages of a river.
How do rivers shape the land?
Erosion Transportation Deposition
How a river carries its load (Transportation)
View animation
The Upper Course
Learning objectives:
To be able to identify and distinguish some of the main features of the upper course of a river and to be able to explain why and how certain processes occur.
Keywords:
Fluvial processes
Fluvial landforms Waterfall
Gorge
V-shaped valley
Load: The material that is carried by a river. Bedload: The heavier material carried, rolled or bounced along the river bed.
Famous Waterfalls
Niagara fallsStraddles the USA/Canadian border. 56 m Niagara River
Angel fallsThe worlds highest water fall. 979 m Venezuela Carrao River,
Victoria fallsAfrica- Zambia, Zimbabwe. 103 m Zambezi River.
In the upper course, the river is high above sea level. This gives the river a lot of potential energy. The river is trying to cut down to its base level or downwards so it mainly does this through vertical erosion. This creates the classic feature known as a V-shaped valley - seen below. The main characteristics of a V - shaped valley and its river: The valley is narrow with a narrow, shallow river channel The valley has steep sides The channel has a steep gradient with features such as pot holes, rapids and waterfalls The water is mainly slow flowing as most of the rivers energy is used to overcome the friction of the river bed & obstructions The load is mainly large, angular and rough
View animation
Waterfall FORMATION:
-The river flows over a band of hard rock above a layer of softer rock. -The soft rock erodes more quickly so the hard rock is undercut and overhangs until it eventually collapses. -A deep plunge pool is formed and the river erodes backwards as the water and rocks swirl around. -Gradually, over time, this process continues and the waterfall retreats upstream forming a gorge.
Waterfall formation
Waterfalls have:
A steep drop in the river
A plunge pool at the base A hard resistant cap of rock at the top which overhangs Softer rocks below the hard rock which are undercut
Gorge Formation
Gorge of Recession: A steep sided valley created by waterfall retreat
Erosion happens in the upper course in four ways.
1. Hydraulic Action In a fast flowing river, water is forced into the cracks in the bank. Over time the pressure builds up and breaks the bank up. This particularly happens when the river is in flood. 2. Corrasion / Abrasion The river carries material like pebbles, boulders, sand and silt. These can rub along the bed and banks and wear them away. 3. Attrition This happens when the load (pebbles, boulders etc) carried by the river collide and rub against each other. The particles become smoother and smaller 4. Corrosion / Solution River water is sometimes slightly acidic. This can erode rocks such as limestone and chalk.
This video clip of the River Conwy in Wales gives a good illustration of some of the processes and landforms happening along the course of the river.
Now sketch and label the erosion diagram from page 66 in Geog.GCSE
Sketch a copy of the outline of this river channel and stick your labels in the appropriate places.
Describe the Fluvial landforms and fluvial processes of the upper course of a river. (8 marks)
Features created by rivers The processes by which a river erodes, transports and deposits.
Fluvial landforms
Fluvial processes
Trigger words
The upper course of a river is very active. This means that there is a lot of movement and many features are created.
The Middle Course
Going Round the Bend..? Learning objective: To be able to identify and distinguish some of the main features of the middle course of a river
and to be able explain why and how certain processes occur.
Keywords:
Meander
Transportation Deposition
River KanutiAlaska
River ThamesLondon
What do these rivers have in common?
Tigre River-An
Amazon tributary River Severn- UK
Mississippi
River
Erosion happens in the upper course in four ways.
1. Hydraulic Power This is the force of the river against the bed and banks. When the river is in flood, the force would remove material . 2. Corrasion / Abrasion The river carries material like pebbles, boulders, sand and silt. These can rub along the bed and banks and wear them away. 3. Attrition The load carried by the river collides and rubs against each other. Particles become smooth and become smaller 4. Corrosion River water is sometimes slightly acidic. This can erode rocks such as limestone and chalk.
So, what happens to all the pieces of rock that are eroded?
The eroded pieces of rock are transported down the river. This is a fluvial process. ( Movement that the river causes)
Traction
Suspension
Saltation
1
Solution
Saltation A:Smaller pebbles are bounced along `the river bed. They are picked up and then dropped.
Solution B: Minerals are dissolved in the water and carried in the flow. They cannot be seen.
4 Suspension Saltation Traction Solution
Suspension C: Finer sand and silt are carried in the flow, making the river look brown. Traction D: The largest rocks and boulders are rolled along the river bed.
It drops more of its load than it did upstream. This is called deposition. It also begins to build up its bed instead of tearing it down .
Meanders
Slip off slope: Gentle slope
forming the inner bank of a meander. It is formed by the deposition of fine silt, or alluvium, by slow-flowing water
River Cliff- Steep slope
forming the outer bank of a meander. It is formed by the undercutting of the river current, which at its fastest when it sweeps around the outside of the meander.
The Formation of Ox Bow Lakes
In the lower course the meanders become even larger. Erosion on the outside of bends and deposition on the slip off slopes continue to take place. The erosion causes the meander neck to narrow until eventually it breaks through. This often takes place when the river has more energy as in times of flood. The river now follows a straight path. After the meander has been cut through the river seals off the bend by deposition and an ox-bow lake is formed. In time, especially in dry areas the ox-bow lake may dry up to form a meander scar.
OXBOW LAKES
(1) On the inside of the loop, the water travels more slowly leading to deposition of silt.
(2) On the outside edges the water is faster, which erodes the banks making the meander even wider.
(3) Over time the loop of the meander widens until the neck vanishes altogether. Then the meander is removed from the river's current and the horseshoe shaped oxbow lake is formed
Erosion
Using a diagram to support your answer, explain how a meander is formed. (4 marks)
Deposition River Cliff
Slip off Slope
A meander is formed because
MEANDER MIGRATION Notice on the diagram below The meanders have got wider due to sideways erosion on the outside bends The meanders have moved downstream A line of river cliffs has formed along the edge of the valley floor As the meanders get wider so does the valley floor or flood plain.
The Lower Course
The river is now nearing the sea and deposition becomes the dominant process.
The main features of the river channel and river valley are:
It is wide and deep with a more efficient shaped channel It is lined with sand and mud so this results in less friction There maybe islands of silt called eyots in the river and the river can split into a number of channels - river braiding The river carries a large load of alluvium There is a wide, flat flood plain either side of the river There are features such as meanders, ox bow lakes and deltas The flood plain is made up of a thick layer of alluvium A line of river cliffs are found at the edge of the flood plain called bluffs
The End of The Road
The End of the Road
Keywords: Levee
Delta
Estuary
Learning Objective:
To be able to identify and distinguish some of the main features of the Lower Course of a river and to be able explain why and how certain processes occur.
Levee formation
(ii) LEVEES These are natural embankments of silt along the river banks. They are formed along rivers that: flow slowly carry a large load flood every so often
The diagram shows that when the river floods material is deposited leading to levees building up.
Eventually ... in 'old age' the river empties its load of water and 'material' into the sea.
This is called deposition
(1) Deltas are formed at the end of rivers (river mouth) as it flows into the sea. (2) Rivers carry a lot of sediment (mud), the river flows into a calm sea slowing the river down. (3) This makes the river drop its sediment. (4) This deposited sediment builds up over years creating a delta. (5) The river is forced to split up. The smaller rivers made by deltas are called distributaries.
Deltas
Some rivers reach the sea in deltas, which form where river mouths become choked with sediment, causing the main river channel to split into hundreds of smaller channels or distributaries. Deltas only form under certain conditions The river must be transporting a large amount of sediment The sea must have a small tidal range and weak currents The sea must be shallow at the river mouth Famous deltas consist of the Mississippi delta, The Ganges and Brahmaputra delta (Bangladesh) and the Nile delta.
An estuary is where a river meets the sea or ocean. No new land is formed here, or if it is, it is submerged.
Task: Produce a power point presentation or a word document which describes and explains what is happening in the lower course of the river. You must include pictures and diagrams. Examples e.g. The Ganges Delta would also be useful. Your work should cover: Levees (natural, not man-made) Flood plains (including river cliffs/bluffs) Deltas Estuaries
Please make sure you include the following key words somewhere in your work: * Load * Flood * Deposit/deposition * Alluvium * Silt * Flow * Sediment
Sort the following into the correct category: Upper, Middle or Lower course. (There should be 8 in each section).
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. Dominant process is erosion Lateral (sideways) erosion Meanders start to develop Steep gradient Waterfalls and rapids Wide and deep channel Smooth Channel Large boulders in channel Widening valley floor Eroded material carried downstream Lots of suspended load Narrow and shallow channel 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. Ox-bow lakes Clear water River cliffs Medium gradient Vertical (downwards) erosion Alluvium Flood plain Lots of deposition Slip off slopes Meander migration V-shaped valleys and interlocking spurs Meander scars
Draw and fill in the following table:
Upper Course Middle Course Lower Course
Upper Course
Dominant process is erosion V-shaped valleys and interlocking spurs Narrow and shallow channel Steep gradient Waterfalls & rapids
Middle Course
Medium gradient Lateral (sideways) erosion Meanders start to develop River cliffs Widening valley floor
Lower Course
Wide and deep channel Smooth channel Ox-bow lakes Deltas Alluvium
Large boulders in channel
Clear water Vertical (downwards) erosion
Eroded material carried downstream
Slip off slopes Meander migration
Flood plain
Lots of deposition Lots of suspended load
Features Check list: Feature V-Shaped Valley Interlocking Spurs Waterfall Gorge Meander Ox-bow Lake Flood plain Levee Delta Estuary Diagram Detailed Description Example
Processes checklist
Process Erosion: Hydraulic Action Attrition Abrasion/Corrasion Solution/Corrosion Vertical erosion Diagram Explanation
Lateral erosion Transportation:
Traction Saltation Suspension Solution Deposition Meander migration
