Starter quiz
- Which is not a type of erosion?
- Hydraulic action
- Abrasion
- Deposition ✓
- Attrition
-
- When does deposition occur?
- When a river gains energy
- When a river loses energy ✓
- When erosion increases
-
- What is hydraulic action?
- The process of water dissolving minerals
- The rolling of large boulders along the river
- The scraping of sediment against the riverbed
- The force of water breaking rock apart ✓
-
- Why do rivers erode more in the upper course?
- Because they have a gentler slope
- Because they have more energy due to steep gradients ✓
- Because they are carrying more sediment
- Because they have a deeper channel
-
- What is the difference between river discharge and river velocity?
- Discharge is speed, velocity is water volume.
- Discharge and velocity are the same.
- Discharge is volume, velocity is speed. ✓
- Discharge is in the upper course, velocity in the lower.
-
- What is a tributary?
- A man-made canal
- A river delta
- A deep valley formed by erosion
- A small river or stream that joins a larger one ✓
-
Exit quiz
- Which landform is created by the erosion of a river in its upper course?
- Floodplain
- Delta
- V-shaped valley ✓
- Meander
-
- What is a gorge?
- A narrow, steep-sided valley downstream of a waterfall ✓
- A flat area near the river mouth
- A bend in the river
- A raised river bank
-
- Which of the following statements is true about how river landforms are created?
- All river landforms are formed by erosion only.
- Deposition only occurs at the coast, not in rivers.
- Both erosion and deposition shape different river landforms. ✓
- Rivers in the middle course do not create landforms.
-
- Which process causes the formation of slip-off slopes in meanders?
- Lateral erosion
- Deposition ✓
- Attrition
- Hydraulic action
-
Worksheet
Loading worksheet ...
Presentation
Loading presentation ...
Video
Lesson Details
Key learning points
- River erosion shapes distinctive landforms (interlocking spurs, waterfalls and gorges).
- River erosion and deposition combine to form distinctive landforms (meanders and oxbow lakes).
- River deposition forms distinctive landforms (levees, flood plains, estuaries and deltas).
Common misconception
River erosion is the only process that creates landforms.
River erosion does create distinct landforms such as waterfalls and gorges. However, deposition and erosion create meanders and oxbow lakes in the middle course and deposition creates landforms such as floodplains and levees in the lower course.
Keywords
Lateral erosion - the process where a river erodes the land on its sides (banks) rather than just the riverbed
Hydraulic action - the power of water eroding a river’s bed and banks
Abrasion - wearing away of a river’s bed and banks by its load
Deposition - when material being carried is dropped due to loss of a river’s energy
+