Fluvial Processes: 1: River Erosion

FLUVIAL PROCESSES
1: RIVER EROSION
allows a river to deepen, widen and lengthen its channels

carried out in the forms of abrasion/corrasion, hydraulic
action, attrition, and solution
EROSION PROCESSES
Abrasion/Corrasion
o upstream regions
o rock-cut channels (channels carved out of bedrocks)
o occurs when coarse and angular fragments of hard rocks
are transported as part of bedload
o rubs and slowly wears away exposed rock outcrops
o responsible for much of the downcutting that deepen
channels
o pothole drilling
extreme form of abrasion that occurs in fast
flowing rivers with strong eddy motions
eddy motions will create a shallow depression
fragments of load get trapped in the hollows
turbulent eddies will swirl them around to drill
potholes into the bed rock
Hydraulic Action
o middle/lower regions
o alluvial channels (where the channel floor and banks are
made up of semi-coherent sediments such as sand, clay
and silt)
o sheer force of flowing water sufficient to dislodge
particles or fragments of unconsolidated material may
lead to bank collapse
especially at the concave banks of meanders
where the river velocity is the highest (thalweg)
therefore, lateral erosion more significant than
downcutting
o cavitation
extreme form of hydraulic action
occurs where turbulence is extreme
bubbles in the water collapse resultant shock

waves will hit and slowly weaken the river banks
lateral erosion
Attrition
o form of erosion that attacks the load itself rather than
the channel
o fragments collide with each other in motion particles
become rounded + decrease in size downstream
decrease in the calibre (particle size)
Solution
o occurs in rocks that can be dissolved by water
o example: limestone
very susceptible to this type of erosion due to the
concentration of carbonic acid and rainwater
o humid acid from plants also aid the occurrence of
solution
o independent of river discharge or velocity
COMPONENTS OF RIVER EROSION

Vertical Downcutting
o characteristic of fast flowing rivers with a large bedload
of coarse hard particles
o coarse bed load + high velocity of flow will abrade
and pothole the channel floor
o neighbouring potholes eventually join together will
form a rock-walled gorge (due to the lowering of the
river bed)
Lateral Erosion
o occurs when a river meanders
o concave banks erosion will be concentrated at and
below the water surface due to higher velocity
o lateral erosion undercutting collapse of the uppser
surface of the banks
o over time retreat of the concave banks
Headward erosion
o 1: occurs at the head of the river
o 2: occurs at points where the river long profile is locally
steep
usually associated with waterfalls

vigorous vertical erosion occurs at the plunge pool
enlargement of plunge pool collapse of
overlying rock cause it to retreat upstream
2: RIVER TRANSPORT
refers to the downstream movement of sediment previously

eroded
TRANSPORTATION PROCESSES
Traction / Saltation
o traction: when large rock fragments roll or slide along
the stream bed
usually most important near the source of a
stream where river channel and vcalley-side
gradients are steep, and valley-side slopes are
capable of delivering coarse debris to stream
channels
o saltation: when smaller grains are transported under the
hydraulic force of the moving water
lifted bodily from the stream bed by turbulence
will land downstream again a short distance away
grains bounce along the river bed
o bed load: refers to the particles moving close or along
the bed of the river by traction/saltation
Suspension
o silt and clay: small enough to be held up by turbulence
forms the suspended load
o amount of suspended load increases towards the rivers
mouth
o the greater the turbulence / the greater the velocity of
the water the larger the quantity and size of particles
that can remain in suspension
Dissolved load
o dissolved load removed in solution

o if bedrock is soluble (example: limestone), dissolved
load will form and be removed by the river
o influenced by rock type of the river channel
o also reflects

Fluvial Processes: 1: River Erosion

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FLUVIAL PROCESSES

allows a river to deepen, widen and lengthen its channels

bubbles in the water collapse resultant shock

COMPONENTS OF RIVER EROSION

usually associated with waterfalls

refers to the downstream movement of sediment previously

o dissolved load removed in solution

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