Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Landforms
Higher Geography
The Hydrosphere
River Profile
Source
of river
Upper
Course
Middle
Course
Lower
Course
River speed
Fastest??
Fastest??
Fastest??
Landscapes have been modified by ice.
Reality Waterfalls and rapids interrupt smooth profiles.
Upper Course
Lower Course
Contrasting river landforms
from source to mouth
Channel features
Valley features
Long profile
Upper Course - Channel features
• River channel is rocky.
• Covered with various shapes and sizes
of boulder.
• Discharge is low.
• Under flood conditions rivers energy is
expended on vertical erosion with
hydraulic action and corrosion processes
at work.
• Potholes may form.
Vertical erosion
Pothole formation
Upper Course - Valley features
• Valley sides are steep and form a ‘V’ shaped
cross section.
• Interlocking spurs.
V shaped valley
Zig-zag bends
Steep sides (interlocking
spurs)
V – shaped valley
Form due to a combination of
the following processes:
OVERHANG
PLUNGE
UNDERCUTTING POOL
OF SOFT ROCK
Formation of rapids
Flood plain
Meanders
Middle Course - Profile
Middle Course - Profile
• Gradient is now less steep.
Coarse material
Layers of silt Forms natural
Deposited during floods levees
Braided channels
3 Neck is cut through by river during floods and river forms new straighter
channel
FUTURE
OX-BOW LAKE
Estuaries and deltas
meander
ox-bow
lake
Flood
plain