Why does a river valley change downstream

As a river flows down steep slopes, the water performs vertical erosion. This form of erosion cuts down towards the river bed and carves out steep-sided V-shaped valleys. As a result, the size and shape of stones will change as they journey through the river profile. Types of stream load Stream load is broken into three types: dissolved load, suspended load, and bed load Ritter, Due to increased erosion and more added tributaries, the river channel increases in width and depth further downstream.

This also increases the volume of water the river can hold. How does a river change course downstream? A river changes shape as it flows from its source to its mouth. Attrition - where stones in transport are thrown into one another. The diagram on below shows the major changes downstream. In the source area the drainage basin an area of land drained by a river and its tributaries contains V shaped valleys and waterfalls, and the dominant processes are erosion.

Erosion tends to be vertical straight down into the land. In the middle section of the drainage basin the river starts to erode laterally. This section contains meanders and Ox bow lakes, and the river creates a flood plain often with Levees. Here, Material is deposited and erosion can also occur. In the lower drainage basin deposition dominates as a river enters a sea or lake, the valley is at its widest and deltas and estuaries are major landforms and habitats.

Tasks 1 Have a go at this animated task for the water cycle 2 Open this systems diagram task and see if you can complete the systems diagram for the water cycle. There are 3 levels - easy , moderate and hard.

The solutions are here. From Teachernet 3 See if you can l ocate the watershed on this drainage basin - the power point will guide you to the answer! In the lower course, the river is passing through the low-lying country. Flooding results in deposition building up the flood plain and this, along with migrating meanders builds up and widens the valley further.

Find out more about the cross profile of a river. If you've found the resources on this site useful please consider making a secure donation via PayPal to support the development of the site. The site is self-funded and your support is really appreciated.

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