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River Processes Notes

The document discusses key concepts related to rivers, including volume, velocity, discharge, and load, emphasizing the energy required for river processes. It outlines the three sections of a river (upper, middle, lower course) and describes the processes of erosion, transportation, and deposition. Various methods of erosion such as hydraulic action, abrasion, attrition, and solution are detailed, along with the four transportation processes: traction, saltation, suspension, and solution.

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Sunniel Bernard
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6 views3 pages

River Processes Notes

The document discusses key concepts related to rivers, including volume, velocity, discharge, and load, emphasizing the energy required for river processes. It outlines the three sections of a river (upper, middle, lower course) and describes the processes of erosion, transportation, and deposition. Various methods of erosion such as hydraulic action, abrasion, attrition, and solution are detailed, along with the four transportation processes: traction, saltation, suspension, and solution.

Uploaded by

Sunniel Bernard
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Geography

Grade 10
Rivers: Energy and Processes
Volume is the amount of water in the river.
Velocity is the speed of the water
Discharge is the amount of water passing a specific point at a given time.
Load: the total amount of material being carried by the river.

Energy is needed for transfers to occur. Around 95% of a river’s energy is used to overcome
friction. The remaining 5% or so is used to erode the river channel and transport material
downstream. The amount of energy in a river is determined by:

 the amount of water in the river


 the speed at which it is flowing
Near the source, river channels are shallow and narrow. Also the bed is often filled with
boulders and very uneven. High levels of friction upstream can cause considerable
turbulence. Three sections can be recognised along rivers:

 Upper Course
 Middle course
 Lower course
These sections of a river are combined to form the long profile of the river. In each section
the main process taking place and the shape of the valley are different. From source to mouth
the river’s: gradient decreases, depth increases, width increases, volume increases velocity
increases.

River Processes
A river goes through three processes: erosion, transportation and deposition.
Erosion
A river erodes the bed and bank of its channel through a number of methods:
Hydraulic action- This is the force of the river water itself, acting on the bed and banks
which remove material. Hydraulic action is particularly powerful when a river flows very
fast, for example near a waterfall, and becomes turbulent. The water looks white because it is
full of air bubbles.
Abrasion/Corrasion- This is the process by which stones, sand grains and other particles
carried by the river are thrown against the bed and banks and help to erode them.

Attrition- Stones and rocks carried downstream and thrown against each other. They are
worn away and gradually become more rounded as they are carried downstream.

Solution: River water can dissolve some of the minerals in rocks, soil and weathered
material. Solution is particularly important in limestone areas, but all rivers carry a significant
quantities of the dissolved salts.

Most erosion occurs when discharge is high and rivers are said to be in flood.

Transportation
There are four processes by which a river transports its load:
Traction- Stones and boulders are rolled along the riverbed. This needs the most energy.
Saltation- Sand-sized particles bounce along the bed in a ‘leap frog’ movement.
Suspension- Silt and clay-sized particles are carried within the water flow.
Solution- Some minerals dissolve in the water. This needs the least energy.

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