Monday, March 1, 2010

River Features [En Qi]

Hi! =D

Here's a diagram I found that shows the features of rivers.

If it's a bit small you can open it in a new window and enlarge it.

A river can create a lot of features through erosion and deposition along its course. Here are some of the river features...
1) Valley
Valleys created by rivers can be in different shapes, depending on the force of the running water.

-Narrow, deep v-shaped valley
The river flows down a steep slope, and there is a rapid downward erosion. The force of the water then cuts into land and forms a narrow, deep v-shaped valley.

-Broad, v-shaped valley
The river flows down a gentler slope, with less rapids in large bends, and erodes sideways, creating a broad, v-shaped valley.

-Wide valley
The river flows in larger bends on a flat land.

2) Rapids
A series of short and fast falls which are known as rapids are formed sometimes along the course of the river, when the river flows over bands of hard and soft rocks.

3) Waterfalls
A waterfall is a vertical flow of water flowing from a great height, usually found in the upper course of the river.

4) Meanders
Meanders are large bends where the river flows in the middle and lower course.

5) Deltas
Deltas are flat pieces of land formed by layers of sediments deposited over time, and are developed at the river mouth.

There are actually a lot more features formed by rivers, but you can go explore them on your own! :) River features can be very fascinating and beautiful, such as waterfalls. Isn't Niagara Falls amazing?
Some websites you can visit:

Books to check out:
1. Raging Rivers by Anita Ganeri
2. Rivers by Nicola Edwards
3. Earth's Changing Rivers by Neil Morris

<3 qi ="D