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IGCSE GEORGAPHY: RIVER PROCESSES

THE RIVER DRAINAGE BASIN




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Erosion = the wearing away of the land by material carried by rivers, glaciers, waves and the wind.
Annotate the diagram to explain how the river erodes material








The main processes of fluvial erosion are:

Abrasion: The erosion of the river bottom and the riverbank by material being carried by the river itself.
Attrition: The rocks and pebbles being carried by the river crash against each other, wearing them down to become smaller, rounded
pebbles.
Corrosion: The chemical erosion of the rocks of the riverbank by the slightly acidic water. This occurs in streams running through rocks
such as chalk and limestone.
Hydraulic Action: The water forces air to be trapped and pressured into cracks in the rocks on the bank of the river. This constant
pressure eventually causes the rocks to crack and break apart.
How does the river ERODE?
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Annotate the diagram to explain how the river transports material



There are four main processes of fluvial transportation, depending on the size of the material being moved:

Traction: The largest rocks in the river are slowly rolled along the bottom of the river by the force of the water.This
primarily occurs in the upper reaches of the river.
Saltation: Smaller rocks are bounced along the river bed. This occurs in the upper and middle sections of the river
in general.
Suspension: The water carries smaller particles of material. This process occurs throughout the course of the river,
but increases the closes you are to the mouth of the river.
Solution: Materials dissolved within the water and carried along by it. Primarily this occurs in the middle and lower
reaches of the river.
How does the river TRANSPORT MATERIAL?
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Annotate the diagram to explain how the river deposits material

Fluvial deposition occurs where the river losses energy and therefore cannot continue to carry the material it is transporting. This
could happen in an estuary when the river meets the sea and slows down, depositing its load, which may eventually lead to the
formation of salt marshes or a delta. Material is also deposited further up the course of the river. For instance the slower moving water
on the inside of a bend of a river will have less energy and therefore drop its load, helping to create a meander.

A major depositional feature of a river is the flood plain, in its lower reaches. This is made up of deposited sand and silt, which is known
as alluvium. This is often very fertile and is the reason why many areas near rivers have large amounts of agricultural activity.
Upper Course Middle course Lower Course
Erosion &
Deposition
Primarily vertical erosion,
through attrition, abrasion and
hydraulic action. Large
boulders deposited and eroded
in situ.
Continues to cut vertically, but it also
begins to cut laterally as it gets closer
to base level. Deposition occurs in the
slower moving insides of meanders.
Primarily cuts laterally as it has almost
reached base level. The erosive energy of
the river is almost totally concentrated on
cutting sideways. Much deposition occurs.
Transportation Traction and saltation. Saltation, suspension and solution. Mainly suspension and solution.
How does the river DEPOSIT MATERIAL?
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PAST PAPER QUESTION




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The course of a river

Rivers always flow downwards from highland areas to lowland areas, through the upper, middle, and finally the
lower course.

The journey of river from source to mouth is sometimes called the course of the river.
The course of a river can be divided into three main sections:
upper course
middle course
lower course












From the video

As you watch the video, try and note some of the landscape features and the characteristics of the upper,
middle and lower course of the river. Write your notes in the table below

Characteristics Landscape Features
Upper
course









Middle
Course










Lower
Course










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Describe the changes that occur from the source to the mouth of the river

Complete the following table using the information from the map and the photographs.


Part of
River
Description Velocity Width Depth Particle
Size
Upper
Course








Middle
Curse








Lower
Course










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The efficiency of a rivers channel is
measured by finding its Hydraulic
radius. It is the ra o between the
length of we ed perimeter and
cross sec on of a river channel.

We ed perimeter: the en re length
of the riverbed bank and sides in
contact with water.

The examples below show the
difference between an efficient
river channel and an inefficient
river channel:
CHANNEL SHAPE
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The effect of channel shape and friction on river energy

Channel A wide and relatively shallow (less efficient)










The wetted perimeter (in red) is the part of the river channel which touch the bed and the banks. It
creates a great deal of friction and, therefore, slows the river down. There is also some friction, albeit
much less, provided on the surface of the water by air.

Channel B relatively deep and narrow (more efficient)













Channel B has the same cross-sectional area as channel A (40m
2
) but has a smaller wetted
perimeter and therefore the water velocity is greater.

Channel C boulder choked channel












Channel C is quite typical of an upper course channel. In normal flow conditions a lot of energy is
lost due to friction and so the river does not flow that fast. However, during floods, the wetted
perimeter becomes relatively smaller and so velocity, and the potential for erosion, increases
enormously
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As the river moves
downstream, the
changes mostly relate
to________________
____________.

When it is in an
_______area any
spare energy the river
has is used
to_______________


This results in the
river cutting
rapidly___________,
a process
called_________
____________.
Vertical erosion leads
to the development of
_________


_________________

As the ___________________ of the valley
decreases, the river uses its energy to
_____________ the material it has eroded.
Due to the lack of gradient, it begins to erode
____________________________.
UPPER COURSE
MIDDLE COURSE
LOWER COURSE
EXPLAINING THE DOWNSTREAM CHANGES IN A RIVERS COURSE
As the river moves
closer to sea level, the
gradient
_____________further,
although the river is still
eroding sideways,
______________ is the
most important
process, and the river
valley becomes
_______ and flatter.
The change from
erosion to deposition
helps to explain the
change in landforms
and the shape of the
river valley as the river
moves towards the sea.
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Bradshaws Model




















Changes to the rivers discharge and velocity downstream


























What does the Bradshaw model tell us?

As the river travels downstream, the river
channel becomes wider and deeper as it is
joined by other smaller rivers (called tributaries).
KEY TERMS
Velocity

Discharge
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Characteristics of the Model River Basin:
long profile, valley cross-section, valley contour pattern, river channel cross-
section and bedload


Upper course Middle Course Lower Course


Valley
cross-section






Valley contour
pattern





Long profile
(gradient)



River channel
cross-section
(note scale)


Bedload size
and shape






Tasks
1. Describe what happens to the shape, width and gradient of a river valley as it flows from the upper
through to the lower course. (6)

2. Describe how the width and depth of the river channel changes between the source and the mouth. (2)

3. Describe how the size and shape of the bedload carried by the river changes between the source and the
mouth. (2)

4, Explain why the size and shape of the bedload changes between the source and the mouth (4)
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PAST PAPER QUESTION



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PAST PAPER QUESTION

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KEY TERMINOLOGY

Confluence



Delta



Drainage Basin



Discharge



Estuary



Gradient


Mouth


Source


River Channel


Tribuatries



Velocity
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