• What can run but never walks

• Has a mouth but never talks

• Has a bed but never sleeps
• Has a head but never weeps
http://www.coolgeography.co.uk
© Robert Gamesby

A river
P h y s i c a l
L a n d s c a p e s
i n t h e U K
 The shape of river valleys changes as rivers
flow downstream.
Objectives Outcomes
1. You should understand • A completed diagram with
how a river’s labels on the long and cross
characteristics change profiles of rivers
from source to mouth. • A mind map with colour and
2. You should know what images on river processes
the long profile of a
http://www.coolgeography.co.uk

river is
3. You should understand
© Robert Gamesby

a range of PROCESSES
occurring along a river

P h y s i c a l
L a n d s c a p e s
i n t h e U K
 The shape of river valleys changes as rivers flow
downstream.
http://www.coolgeography.co.uk
© Robert Gamesby

P h y s i c a l
L a n d s c a p e s
i n t h e U K
 River Drainage Basins Precipitation – the
INPUT to the system

Valley sides
The watershed –
the edge of the
basin within which
water is collected

all
m
–s rt
o
Water table – the r ies ch ate Confluence
a
upper limit of b ut whi te w am – where 2
i
saturated rock Tr ers IBu stre rivers meet
riv nTR ain
co e m
th
http://www.coolgeography.co.uk

Saturated rock
© Robert Gamesby

P h y s i c a l
L a n d s c a p e s
i n t h e U K
 Long and cross profiles on a TYPICAL river
MIDDLE LOWER
UPPER
REACHES REACHES
VALLEY
Cross profiles

Vertical erosion
Characteristics Channel is deeper and
with Hydraulic Channel is at its widest and
& processes wider
action, abrasion & deepest, and may be tidal
attrition dominant Vertical erosion
processes decreasing in Deposition more important
importance, more than erosion
Traction and
lateral erosion and Fine material deposited
saltation at high
deposition.
flow Large amount of load but the
500 Load size is large
Suspension is the
main transportation
size is very small and very
and angular rounded
type
400 V shaped valleys
Load becomes smaller
LONG profile is the
change in gradient with
Height above Sea level

distance. It starts off

http://www.coolgeography.co.uk

and less angular

300 steep but reduces with
distance from source,
200 and has a CONCAVE
profile

100
© Robert Gamesby

Sea or
Ocean
0
-100
P h y s i c a l
Increasing distance downstream
Source L a n d Mouth
s c a p e s
i n t h e U K
 Source: Prism Planning/Able UK
Anthony Stevenson / River Towy Meander and Oxbow Lake
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:River_Towy_Meander_and_Oxbow_Lake_-
_geograph.org.uk_-_750727.jpg

Bob Bowyer via Wikimedia Commons

http://www.coolgeography.co.uk
© Robert Gamesby

P h y s i c a l
L a n d s c a p e s
i n t h e U K
 Traction
Heavy rocks and boulders are rolled
along the river bed. Happens most
in times of flood, when the current
is strongest.
http://www.coolgeography.co.uk
© Robert Gamesby

P h y s i c a l
L a n d s c a p e s
i n t h e U K
 Saltation. Small stones and pebbles
are ‘bounced’ along the river
bed. Saltation can take
place when the river flow is
less than that needed for
‘Traction’ to take place.
http://www.coolgeography.co.uk
© Robert Gamesby

P h y s i c a l
L a n d s c a p e s
i n t h e U K
 Suspension
Very small particles of sand or
clay that are ‘suspended’ in the
water. These particles will ‘settle’
if kept in a jar of water overnight
and the water will look clear.
http://www.coolgeography.co.uk
© Robert Gamesby

P h y s i c a l
L a n d s c a p e s
i n t h e U K
 Solution. Takes place when material is dissolved in the
water, it is invisible and does not colour the
water. Occurs often in limestone landscapes
where the water is very acidic. Some
pollutants like weed-killer are also held in
solution in the water
http://www.coolgeography.co.uk
© Robert Gamesby

P h y s i c a l
L a n d s c a p e s
i n t h e U K
 Methods of transport
Draw four cartoons that explain how each
process works.

Methods of river load transport

Shows the rate of flow needed
http://www.coolgeography.co.uk

Traction Saltation Suspension Solution

© Robert Gamesby

The hopping Rocks that

Small have been
motion of particles held
pebbles dissolved into
Large up within the the water by
boulders water weak acids
rolled at
high flow
P h y s i c a l
L a n d s c a p e s
i n t h e U K
 River
Erosion River
Banks
Processes

Attrition – where particles

bash off one another IN
FLOW
Hydraulic action –
River Bed
http://www.coolgeography.co.uk

the sheer force of

flowing water on the
base of the river
Abrasion – where stones carried in the water
hit the BANKS (sides) and BED (base) of the
river
© Robert Gamesby

P h y s i c a l
L a n d s c a p e s
i n t h e U K
 Why might we get DEPOSITION in a river
channel? Where?
http://www.coolgeography.co.uk

By SuzanneKn at English Wikipedia - Transferred from en.wikipedia to

Commons., Public Domain,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5595420
© Robert Gamesby

Bob Bowyer / Past river deposits in the

bank of the River Rheidol. / CC BY-SA 2.0

P h y s i c a l
L a n d s c a p e s
i n t h e U K
http://www.coolgeography.co.uk
© Robert Gamesby

Sediment is being redistributed along the Alaskan coast at Wrangell–St.

Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska. NASA Satellite Image.
https://www.nps.gov/articles/coastal-processes-sediment-transport-and-deposi
tion.htm

P h y s i c a l
L a n d s c a p e s
i n t h e U K
 RIVER LONG PROFILES - How rivers change
from Source to Mouth
1. Video - take notes on how the river
changes from source to mouth.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0
3NxugrKzYo
2. Read pages 18 to 21 of Cool Geography
as far as the landforms section
3. Label a copy of the Long profile of a
http://www.coolgeography.co.uk

river diagram
© Robert Gamesby

4. Describe and explain the changes taking

place on the diagram
P h y s i c a l
L a n d s c a p e s
i n t h e U K
 Chart for use with the DVD
Source Middle Reaches Mouth

Size and shape of

the river

Landforms
http://www.coolgeography.co.uk

Processes
© Robert Gamesby

P h y s i c a l
L a n d s c a p e s
i n t h e U K
 The shape of river valleys changes as rivers
flow downstream - PROCESSES
Produce a mind map on the
processes in river channels

TIO lic
Er efin

AC drau
N
os iti
d
n
tio

io on
Tra a

Hy
lt
cti
on Sa ri t ion
Att
nsi on
Solution Suspe
io n
s Abras
ype
Tra T
http://www.coolgeography.co.uk

n s po ion
rt E r os
Dir
ec Solution
tio
Processes operating in a river n
Vertic
© Robert Gamesby

al
n
i tio La
s t
epo er
al
D

P h y s i c a l
L a n d s c a p e s
i n t h e U K
 Dad joke time….
• Love watching rivers on
the internet.  
http://www.coolgeography.co.uk
© Robert Gamesby

P h y s i c a l
L a n d s c a p e s
i n t h e U K