Action of Running Water

Running water is a term used to describe rivulets, streams, rivers and brooks. Running water
effect are felt globally and is therefore the most important single agent of denudation. They are
involved in erosional, transportational and depositional activities. There are certain terms
associated with the flow, erosion, transportation and deposition of water and materials by
rivers. They are defined below:
1. Lamina flow: this type of flow is found in layers parallel to the bed of the river i.e. it is
common in rivers with smooth beds.
2. Turbulent flow: this flow is circular like and the energy of the river decreases when its flow
is turbulent as energy has to be used to overcome the friction within the water caused by
turbulence due to the rough nature of the bed.
3. Source of river: this refers to where a river starts or begins from.
4. Mouth of a river: this refers to where a river ends or enters into a river, sea, or lake.
5. Course of a river: this is the path or channel through which a river flows.
6. Tributaries: these are smaller rivers or streams that combine to form a larger river.
7. River basin/ catchment area: it refers to the entire area or landscape drained by a river and
its tributaries.
8. Water divide/ watershed: this is the mountain crest or the highland top from which a river
flows down. The slopes on their way to the ocean and sometimes the source of a river can
be found there.
9. Consequent stream/ river: this is the initial river that flows from the source and slope of a
river.
10. Insequent streams/ river: these are tributaries that join the main river obliquely. This is
usually made because the bed is made up of homogenous rocks with uniform resistance to
erosion. Insequent streams normally lead to dendritic drainage.
11. Subsequent streams/ river: these are tributaries to the main river that join it as a result of
rocks having alternate layers of hard and soft rocks. They join consequent river at right
angles normally resulting in a drainage pattern known as trellised.
12. River regime: the seasonal variation in the level of water in a river channel s known as
regime. The regime of a river can either be single regime (one low, one high) or double
regime (two lows, two highs). The knowledge of the regime of a river is useful in the control
of floods, used for irrigation and human consumption and also in planning of hydroelectric
power.
13. Confluence of a river: it is a meeting point of 2 rivers.
14. Distributaries: these are the channels formed by rivers as they flow into an ocean usually
formed around delta area of a river.
15. River energy: this refers to the velocity and power of a river. The rate at which a river
erodes and transports its materials depends on its velocity.
16. Head ward erosion: is one of the ways by which a river increases its length. This is achieved
by a cutting back at its source usually through rain wash or soil creep.
17. Vertical erosion: this is a means by which a river deepens its channel especially the bedrock.
18. Lateral erosion: this is the wearing away of the sides of a river channel.
19. Load: this is the term used to describe the transported materials by rivers.
20. Suspension: this is the way in which the smallest particles of materials are carried. The
brownish appearance of rivers after rain is caused by the increase in the amount of
materials in suspension.
21. Salutation: This is a process where larger particles of materials are carried in a series of hops
or jumps along the riverbed.
22. Traction: this is where large fragments are rolled or pushed by the stream along its bed.
sometimes materials are also carried in solution.

Factors affecting the velocity (flow) of a river

1. The shape of the river channel/valley
This factor affects the amount of energy a river has for erosion and transportation. A
river needs more energy to flow through a flat and wide valley than through a narrow
aand deep channel, this is because the former has a larger surface area.
2. The volume of water released
The higher the volume of water that flows through the river, the higher the velocity of
the river. therefore as the volume of water decreases during the dry season so also its
velocity.
3. The amount, the weight and size of materials
The greater the speed or velocity of a river the greater will be its velocity to move or
carry its load.
4. The slope of the river channel/valley
The steeper the gradient or slope of a river the higher will be the speed/velocity of the
water in the river channel.