8.1.5

River Deposition

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Deposition

Deposition is when the sediment that a river is transporting is dropped. This happens in the middle and lower course of the river and in lower energy conditions. The reasons why rivers lose velocity and drop material are:

River Landforms Caused by Erosion

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Waterfalls

  • When a river flows over hard rock that overlays softer rock, a waterfall can form.
  • The less resistant rock begins to erode by abrasion and hydraulic action.
  • A step or notch forms in the softer rock, creating a river rapid.
  • Over time, the softer rock is eroded more and more, whereas the harder rock is left sticking out.
  • The height of the drop increases as the water pounds the less resistant rock at the base. Eventually a waterfall forms.
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Waterfalls and gorges

  • The less resistant rock starts to be eroded underneath the hard rock. This process is called undercutting.
  • The overhanging harder rock collapses because it's unsupported.
  • The waterfall now has harder rock to swirl around its base. The resulting abrasion creates a plunge pool.
  • Hydraulic action keeps undercutting behind the waterfall.
  • If the process repeats over a long time, a gorge may form.
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Interlocking spurs

  • In the upper courses of rivers, valleys are steep and V-shaped because most of the erosion that happens is in a vertical direction.
  • Because the rivers don't have enough energy to erode sideways, they are restricted to winding around the hills on the valley sides.
  • These interlocking hillsides are the interlocking spurs.

Landforms of Erosion and Deposition

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Meanders

  • Erosion and deposition in parts of rivers that have deep and shallow sections lead to meanders forming.
  • On the outside of bends, the deep channel means the current is fast.
    • River cliffs form here because the high energy water has more erosional power.
  • On the inside of bends, the shallow channel means the current is slow.
    • Slip-off slopes form here because sediment is deposited by the low-velocity water.
  • Meanders are usually found in the middle course of a river.
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Ox-bow lakes

  • Over time, meanders become larger, until eventually an ox-bow lake forms.
  • Erosion causes the bends to move closer together to create a swan’s neck meander.
  • During a flood, high energy water will breach the meander neck.
  • This makes the river flow in a straighter and faster course.
  • Over time, deposits will fill in the meander bends.
  • The meander becomes cut off from the river, forming an ox-bow lake.

Jump to other topics

1Geography Skills

2Geology of the UK

3Geography of the World

4Development

5Weather & Climate

6The World of Work

7Natural Resources

8Rivers

9Coasts

10Glaciers

11Tectonics

12Climate Change

13Global Population & Inequality

14Urbanisation

15Ecosystems

16Life in an Emerging Country

17Analysis of Africa

18Analysis of India

19Analysis of the Middle East

20Analysis of Bangladesh

21Analysis of Russia

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