The river’s long profile

There are three courses in a river:

1) The upper course

2) The middle course
3) The lower course

Upper course:

• Main process is erosion

• Very steep terrain
• Not wide and deep

Middle Course:

• Processes in the middle course include both

erosion and deposition
• The terrain is not as steep as the upper course
• Wider and deeper than the upper course

Lower course:

• Main process is deposition

• The terrain is not steep; the terrain is flat
• The river is wide and deep