River features

  1. Upper course: characterized by steep valleys,rapids, and gorges

  • Valleys: an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains and typically contains a river

  • Rapids: sections of a river where the river bed has a relatively steep gradient, causing an increase in water velocity and turbulence. Obstacles are also included in a rapid

  • Waterfalls: created where hard rock overlies sotf rock; umdercutting forms plunge pools and retreating gorges


  1. Middle course: section between the steep upper and slower lower course, characterised by gentler slopes,wider valleys, meanders, lateral erosion, Oxbow lakes and increased deposition

  • Meanders: bends in the river course because of alternating erosion and deposition

  • Slip-off slopes: depositional features on the inside of meanders

  • Floodplains: flat fertile areas created by repeated deposition


  1. Lower course: final stage of the river where it flows over flat land with slow moving water and dominant deposition that form the samilar features as middle course

  • Gentle gradient and slow flow: the river becomes wide and deep, losing energy as it approaches the mouth

  • Levees: natural enbankments formed when heavier sediments deposit near the river channel during floods

  • Estuaries: tidal mouths where freshwater meets seawater

  • Deltas: formed when sediment is deposited faster than sea can remove it creating triangular landforms at the river mouth


  1. River mouth: where a river flows into a larger body of water. Eg. Another river, lake, a sea or an ocean.