Key learning points

1. River erosion shapes distinctive landforms (interlocking spurs, waterfalls and gorges).
2. River erosion and deposition combine to form distinctive landforms (meanders and oxbow lakes).
3. River deposition forms distinctive landforms (levees, flood plains, estuaries and deltas).

Keywords

• Lateral erosion - the process where a river erodes the land on its sides (banks) rather than just the riverbed

• Hydraulic action - the power of water eroding a river’s bed and banks

• Abrasion - wearing away of a river’s bed and banks by its load

• Deposition - when material being carried is dropped due to loss of a river’s energy

Common misconception