THE

THEEROSIONAL
EROSIONALWORK
WORKOF
OF
WATER
WATER
The erosional work of streams/rivers carves
and shapes the landscape through which they
flow.
There are 3 functions of rivers:-
a.Erosion
b.Transportation
c.Deposition
 EROSION
A river may erode in 4 ways
1.Abrasion/ corrosion:-
•Load carried by a river will grind against its
bed and sides. This process slowly wears the
bed and sides away.
2. Attrition
When thrown against the sides and bed of
rivers, the load gets broken into smaller
pieces.
 Water Erosion
• Rivers, streams, and runoff
3. Hydraulic action
The work of turbulence in the water.
Running water causes friction in the joints of rocks
in a stream channel Joints may be enlarged
Loosened fragments of rocks get swept away.

4. Solution/Corrosion

Certain minerals in rocks like limestone can be

dissolved in water.
Rocks are then eroded.
Potholes:
1)Circular depressions on the river bed
2)Formed by corrosion (abrasion)
3)Most effective in flood conditions
4)Pebbles which are trapped in hollows on the
river bed are swirled about in turbulent/ fast
flowing water
 Plunge pools:
1)A large depression at the foot of a waterfall
2)This depression is deepened by hydraulic
action of the plunging water
3)Condition: likely to form when the water
plunges into less resistant rocks
4)It may be further enlarged by rock debris
swirling about by turbulent water at the base
Rapids:
1)A series of very short and fast falls
2)Condition: an area of alternating bands of resistant
and less resistant rock
 Waterfalls: -
1)Vertical flows of fast moving water flowing from
great heights
2)Formed by 2 ways: -    Due to unequal resistance of
rocks  or faulting 
i)Unequal resistance- less resistant rocks are eroded
more rapidly than resistant rocks
ii)As a result, there is a change in gradient
iii)By faulting- displacement of rocks results in a
difference in height between 2 rocks, water plunges
downwards
ROCK WEATHERING
Relationship of velocity and sediment size to
erosion
B. Transportation (4 ways)
1.Traction
Larger and heavier rocks/gravels are dragged or
rolled along the bed.

2. Saltation (saltim: by leaps/jumps)

Smaller and lighter rock fragments and sand hop and
bounce along the river bed.
At times, the distinction between traction and saltation may
be difficult to determine
3. Suspension
Some of the load like silt and clay (fine-grained)
will float along.
They may only be deposited when stream velocity
reaches near 0.Turbulence in the water is crucial
in holding a load of sediments.

4. Solution
Some minerals are transported in dissolved form.
Especially chemical solution derived from minerals
like limestone or dolomite.
 Water
• Water weathers rock by dissolving it
C. Deposition
A river will drop its load when:
a.Volume decreases
b.Speed decreases
A river’s volume decreases when
•Dry season
•Dry region with high evaporation
•Presence of permeable rocks
•Receding flood waters
  
Floodplains and Levees -->  
A floodplain is a low-lying plain on both sides of a river that
has repeatedly overflowed its banks and flooded the
surrounding areas. When the floods subside, alluvium is
deposited on the floodplain. The larger materials, being
heavier, are deposited at the river banks while the finer
materials are carried and deposited further away from the
river. The larger materials at the river banks build upinto
embankment called levees.
Meanders
1)Meanders are loop-like bends in a river. The water flows
round the meander in a spiral manner. This causes erosion to
take place on the outer bank and deposition on the inner bank.

2)Gradually, a steep river cliff is formed on the outer bank,

making it concave in shape. On the inner bank, deposition of
alluvial materials produces a gentle slip-off slope and the bank
takes on a convex shape. 
OXBOW LAKES  
An oxbow lake is a crescent
-shaped lake formed on a
river when a meander has
Weathered
been cut through and
abandoned.
rock
When a river meanders in
very big loops, the outer
bank is so rapidly eroded that
the river cuts through the
narrow neck of the meander.
The river then flows straight
through the channel. When
deposition seals off the cut-
off from the river channel, an
oxbow lake is formed. It may
silt up and eventually dry up
  
C. Deposition
A river’s speed decreases when
•It enters a lake
•It enters a calm sea
•It enters a gently sloping plain

The work of a river depends on its energy

Energy a function of
a.Volume of water
b.Speed of water flow (dependent on gradient)
Type of Deposition
• There is two types of Deposition

Alluvial fan: Delta:

A triangular deposit of A triangular deposit of
sediment that forms sediment that forms
when water rushing when a stream or a
down a slope loses its river slows as it
energy and abruptly empties into an ocean,
slows at the bottom, gulf, or lake.
depositing its
sediment load.
Stream picture
SUBMMITTED BY
KAUSHAL JANGID
KRISHNAKALI GHOSH
PUSHPRAJ BARAIK
AVINASH KAUSHIK
ROHIT GUPTA
ANAND SINGH
AJITESH CHATTERJEE
ANKIT BELE