Do you think this river has always looked like this?

Will it always look like this in the future?

Is it having any effect on the land it flows over?

There are 3 main functions of a river. They are:

1. Erosion 2. Transportation 3. Deposition

 Erosion the wearing away of land (rocks, stones, soil)

by wind, water and ice.

There are four main types of river erosion - you must remember the terms and learn what they mean!
Hydraullic action Abrasion (corrasion)

Attrition

Solution

Hydraulic action
Water is forced into cracks in the bank. Over time this weakens the rock, breaking it away.

Abrasian/Corrasion
Sand and stones in the river scrape the bed and banks and wear them away

Solution/corrosion
Where chemicals in the river water react with rocks of the riverbed / banks and dissolves minerals.

A river uses its energy to carry or transport eroded materials such as

~ mud ~ sand ~ boulders

LOAD

Rivers transport their load by four processes. 1. Traction 2. Saltation 3. Suspension 4. Solution

Traction - Rolling stones along the river bed. (this needs the most energy)

Saltation - Sand sized particles bounce along the river bed in a "leap-frog" movement.

Suspension - Silt and clay particles are carried within the water flow.

Solution - Some minerals dissolve in the water (this needs the least energy)

Deposition
As the river reaches flatter land it slows down resulting in it depositing material also known as sediment.

However the dissolved material stays in the water and is carried out into the sea.