Form 4 Topic 2: Landforms and landscape processes GEOGRAPHY

River Processes

River erode, transport and deposit sediments and soil.A river basin is the area drained by a network
of streams. It is also called a drainage basin or a catchment area. Each drainage basin is separated
from the next by an imaginary line called a watershed or water divide.Where a river starts is called a
source and the point where a river ends or discharges its water is the river mouth.The route
followed by a river from source to mouth is its course.

Drainage patterns

A network of streams is drainage pattern. The drainage pattern shows the influence of the
underlying rock and the slope of the land.

1. Dendritic pattern

This is formed when streams branch or join one another like the branches of a tree. It requires
gentle sloping ground and areas of the same rock type (homogenous geology) or with rocks of
uniform resistance to erosion.

2. Radial drainage
This drainage pattern if formed where streams drain from a central highland in all directions. It is
common in conical hills and domes. It requires a dome-shaped hill or mountain to form.
3. Centripetal or convergent drainage pattern
Rivers drain towards the centre of a lake, a swamp or depression. It is the opposite of radial
drainage.
4. Trellis or trellised drainage
Forms where streams join one another at right angles. It develops in areas of alternate hard and
soft rocks
The flow of water in streams
The speed at which water flows along the stream channel is called the stream velocity.The
amount, given as volume of water passing across a given section of the channel, is termed stream
discharge. It is measured in cubic metres per second (cm3/s).
Activities of a river
A river transport-the material transported by a stream or river makes up its load. The river
transport their load in four ways;
 Solution-dissolved load
 Suspension-suspended load which gives the water a muddy colour.
 Saltation-small pebbles and very coarse sand will hop(jump) and bounce off the bed of the
river as they are transported downstream.
 Traction- heavy pebbles and boulders are dragged and pushed by the power of the
moving water, the stronger the flow, the bigger the bed load boulders will be.
A river erodes- removal of material by rivers becomes possible when the water has overcome
friction and is flowing.
 Hydraullic action-The sheer force of the moving water detaches and plucks loose and sold
material from channel bed and banks.

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  Corrasion or abrasion-occurs when channel bed and banks materials are scraped off.
 Corrosion or solution-water dissolve rock particles through chemical weathering processes
 Attrition-Solid material carried by the river hit against each other and breaks into smaller
pieces

River deposition-a decrease in flow velocity reduces the ability of a river to transport its load. As a
result, the river starts to drop or deposit the sediment it is carrying. Deposition occurs on:

 Channel bed
 The river valley floor during floods
 The banks
 The mouth

Factors influencing the river’s ability to erode, transport and deposit its load.

 Gradient of channel
 Volume/ discharge
 Channel shape in cross-section
 Channel roughness

Feature common in major sections / reaches of rivers

Course Common features

Upper course / or V-shaped valleys, potholes, interlocking spurs, gorges, rapids,
headwater reaches waterfalls, due to mostly vertical erosion
Middle course/reaches Open U-shaped valleys, truncated spurs, meanders, mostly due to
lateral erosion
Lower course/ reaches Flood-plain features, for example, bluffs, natural levees, raised beds,
alluvial fans, deferred junctions, braiding, swamps, deltas, mostly due
to deposition
The conditions for the formation of interlocking spurs include:

 Fast-flowing water
 Limited discharge off slopes
 occurrence of weak and resistant areas of rock

Gorges are river valleys bounded by more of less vertically upstanding rock walls due to severe
down cutting, with lateral erosion

The river mouth

This is the end of the river’s journey as it reaches the sea or lake.The river’s velocity is reduced to
zero. The river is forced to deposit its load.

Delta formation

Weak tidal currents unable to remove deposited sediments

The river carries a large load, which it deposits at its mouth

Wind processes

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Wind transport through processes called suspension, saltation and surface creep

Suspension- is the process by which small particles like fine clay and silt are carried by wind and
then deposited elsewhere.

Saltation- it involves sand particles which can move in a series of hops.

Surface creep or traction- large particles are dragged or pushed by strong winds.

Wind erodes through deflation and abrasion

Deflation- wind removes loose soil and sediments lowering the ground surface, forming deflation
hollows, very common in the Sahara Desert.

Abrasion-This is the sand blasting action of moving sand on rocks . It produces unique landforms
such as ventifacts, rock pedestals/ mushroom rocks, zeugens and yardangs.

Wind deposition-deposition of sand results in loess or sand dunes.

Sand dudes include-:

 Barchans crescent shaped, two horns pointing downwards, steep concave leeward side
due to eddies, gentle convex slopes due to prevailing wind.
 Seif dunes are formed when barchans combine. They are longitudinal in form and lie
parallel to the general direction of the wind.
 Parabolic dunes- these are u-shaped mounds of sand with convex noses trailed by
elongated arms.
 Star dunes-these are pyramidal sand mounds with three or more arms that radiate from
the high centre of the mound

Hazards associated with landform development

Volcanoes

Earthquakes

Mass wasting

Measures to reduce effects

Have a fire extinguisher, first aid kit, a battery powered radio, a torch and extra batteries at home.

Know how to turn off gas, water and electricity supplies

Make a plan to meet family after the hazard

Do not leave heavy objects on shelves

Learn hazard plans ( education)

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Evacuation

Task

Remember to draw diagrams when illustrating your answers for more marks

1 Which of the following pairs of features is the result of wind erosion?

a) Barchan and yardang

b) Zuegen and ventifact
c) Seif dune and deflation hollow
d) Wadi and erg[8]
2. Explain the difference between the following terms in your own words:
a) disaster
b) risk
c) hazard
d) management when it comes to hazards, risks and disasters [8]
3. a) Describe the formation of a waterfall [3]
b) State the value of waterfalls to people[4]
4a) Suggest benefits and problems of settling on deltas [7]
b) With the aid of diagrams, explain the formation of a zuegen[5]
c) What advice would you give people living on a flood plain on ways to reduce impacts of
floods[7]
d) As a geologist, what arguments would you put forward for and against settling in areas affected
by volcanic activity [6]