Riparian Environments: Landforms

Landforms: A way of teaching this element could be by way of a quiz, differentiating on learning abilities, using graphics and basic pictures to learn where certain landforms are located on the length of a river (that is upper middle or lower course of the river). I love the formations that rivers create, the diversity of physical shapes formed by the shear power of water. Amazing!

Upper Course

The steep gradient and narrow flow of the river helps to form features such as V-shaped valleys, waterfalls, gorges and interlocking spurs. These formations can be spectacular:

Interlocking spurs





Waterfall: formed as water passes over a variation hard rock and softer rock causing erosion of the soft rock.








Middle Course
the gradient is more gentle but the river has high volumes of water and energy. It travels along through flatter areas allowing it to create different types of land forms, including large meanders (bends in the river). As the river meanders the speed of the the water on the inside of the curve is slower so that it deposits material, whereas on the outside of the curve it travels more quickly and therefore erodes the bank. This makes the bends even more extreme



Over time the horseshoe become tighter, until the ends become very close together. As the river breaks through, eg during a flood when the river has a higher discharge and more energy, and the ends join, the loop is cut-off from the main channel. The cut-off loop is called an oxbow lake.



Lower Course

This element has high volume and large deposits. the river is moving slowly often towards its mouth. It can have a large flood plain which over time has deposited very fertile alluvium (sediment) that is great for farming. On reaching the mouth a delta is formed. See my previous blog on river processes and the picture of the Okavango Delta.