River Processes Lab
How a river shapes the land from source to mouth: its changing course, the erosion, transport and deposition that carve valleys and build floodplains, and why rivers like the Exe flood.
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From source to sea
A river is a landscape-shaping machine. As it flows from its source in the hills to its mouth at the sea, it wears rock away, carries it along, and drops it again. In this module you will follow a river down its course, meet the erosion and deposition that carve its landforms, and see why rivers like the River Exe in Devon flood.
The river words
Four processes and features run through this topic:
Upper and lower course
A river looks and behaves very differently near its source and near its mouth.
Follow the river
Put the parts of a river in order, from its source to its mouth.
- The source, high up in the hills
- The upper course, cutting a steep V-shaped valley
- The middle course, winding in meanders
- The lower course, crossing a flat floodplain
- The mouth, where the river meets the sea
Match each term
- Hydraulic action
- Abrasion
- Meander
- Ox-bow lake
- The force of the water breaking rock away
- Rocks carried by the river scrape and wear the bed
- A bend in the river in the middle or lower course
- A cut-off loop left when a meander is bypassed
Where is the V-shaped valley?
In which part of a river do you find a steep, narrow V-shaped valley?
- The upper course
- The lower course
- The mouth
- The floodplain
Which erode the river?
Select the TWO processes by which a river ERODES its bed and banks.
- Hydraulic action
- Abrasion
- Deposition of sediment
- Traction along the bed
Case study: the River Exe
The River Exe rises on Exmoor and flows south through Devon to the sea near Exmouth. As it flows it transports its load by traction, saltation, suspension and solution. In its lower course the Exe crosses a flat floodplain, and after heavy rain it can overflow. Exeter has suffered from river flooding, which is why flood defences have been built.
Rivers in words
In its _____ course, a river flows fast down steep slopes and cuts a V-shaped valley. As the river carries its load, small particles bounce along the bed in a process called _____. A bend in a river is called a _____, and when its neck is cut off it leaves an _____. In the lower course the river slows and drops its load, building up a flat _____.
Erosion or deposition?
Some landforms are cut by erosion and some are built by deposition. Tap the TWO landforms made by DEPOSITION.
- A floodplain
- A waterfall
- A levee
- A V-shaped valley
- A gorge
What is a meander?
What is a meander?
- A bend in a river
- A steep waterfall
- The source of a river
- A straight upland stream
How an ox-bow lake forms
Put the stages of forming an ox-bow lake in order.
- A meander bend becomes more and more curved
- The neck of the bend gets narrower
- Erosion cuts through the narrow neck
- The river flows along the new, straighter path
- The old loop is cut off, leaving an ox-bow lake
Read the river
Use what you know about river processes to answer each question.
- A river is flowing fast down a steep slope and cutting a narrow V-shaped valley. Which course is this?
- Rocks carried by the river scrape and wear away its bed. What is this erosion process called?
- After heavy rain, the River Exe overflows onto its floodplain near Exeter. What is this an example of?
Down the whole river
Describe how a river changes along its course, from the upper course to the lower course, and how it shapes the land. Write in clear, full sentences.
- Describe the upper course and a landform found there
- Explain how the river erodes and transports its load
- Describe the lower course and a landform found there
- Refer to a named river such as the River Exe