How do you describe the cross profile of a river?
The cross profile of a river shows how the width and depth of the river valley and channel change as you travel downstream. Near the source of a river there is more vertical erosion as the river flows downhill, using its energy to overcome friction (A).
What is a cross section of a river?
A cross profile shows a cross-section of a river’s channel and valley at a certain point along the river’s course. A – as the river flows downhill there is an increase in vertical erosion . The channel is shallow and narrow because there is not a lot of water in the channel.
What is the difference between a long profile and a cross profile?
The average flow velocity of a river increases along its long profile. This makes sense; along the profile, more potential energy is converted to kinetic energy, increasing the velocity. This is only the average velocity however; a cross-section of a river shows that the velocity varies from one side to the other.
What are the 3 stages of a river called?
These categories are: Youthful, Mature and Old Age. A Rejuvenated River, one with a gradient that is raised by the earth’s movement, can be an old age river that returns to a Youthful State, and which repeats the cycle of stages once again. A brief overview of each stage of river development begins after the images.
What does cross profile mean in geography?
What is a cross-profile? River cross profiles show you a cross-section, taken sideways, of a river’s channel and/or valley at certain points in the river’s course. A channel cross-profile only includes the river whereas a valley cross-profile includes the channel, the valley floor and the sides of the valley.
How does the cross profile of a river change downstream?
As the river flows downstream it is joined by tributaries, increasing the volume of water, velocity and therefore its erosive power. This enables it to cut a deeper channel as it flows downstream. Downstream, the channel becomes wider as the gradient becomes more gentle leading to less vertical erosion.
What is youth stage of river?
The youthful stage of the river is when water flow is the quickest. Waterfalls, potholes, V-shaped valleys and interlocking spurs are features of the youthful stage, and these features are due to erosion. The flow becomes gentler during the mature stage, and the river widens.
How is a river formed ks2?
When rain water and melting snow collects on high ground, it begins to form little streams, which flow downhill because of gravity. These small streams, brooks, or creeks join together, becoming larger and larger until they form rivers.
What is a river long profile?
The long profile of a river is a way of displaying the channel slope of a river along its entire course. Generally, in the upper part of the long profile or Thalweg there is more turbulence, lots of bed load in comparison to discharge and lots of roughness and fiction.
How does a rivers cross profile change from source to mouth?
The long profile of a river shows changes in the height (altitude) of the course of a river from its source to its mouth. A long profile is usually concave and the slope becomes more gentle towards the mouth of the river. Long profiles usually have irregularities such as waterfalls or lakes.
What is the stages of a river?
River stages
| Stage | Main activity |
|---|---|
| Upper course (steep gradient) | Vertical (downward) erosion |
| Middle course (gentle gradient) | Lateral (sideways) erosion starts, transportation |
| Lower course (very low gradient) | Deposition |
What are the 4 stages of a river?
Nearly all rivers have an upper, middle, and lower course.
- Young River – the upper course.
- Middle Aged River – the middle course.
- Old River – the lower course.