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Lesson 10 - Upper Course Features

The document outlines the features and formation processes of various upper course river landforms, including V-shaped valleys, interlocking spurs, waterfalls, gorges, and rapids. It explains how these features are created through erosion and sediment transport, highlighting the role of vertical erosion, abrasion, and differential erosion. Additionally, it provides visual examples and tasks for understanding the concepts presented.

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16 views33 pages

Lesson 10 - Upper Course Features

The document outlines the features and formation processes of various upper course river landforms, including V-shaped valleys, interlocking spurs, waterfalls, gorges, and rapids. It explains how these features are created through erosion and sediment transport, highlighting the role of vertical erosion, abrasion, and differential erosion. Additionally, it provides visual examples and tasks for understanding the concepts presented.

Uploaded by

just your average nobody
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Upper Course Features

Geography
Ms. Muhammad
Learning Objectives

 Define & explain the formation of:


V-Shaped Valleys
Interlocking Spurs
Waterfalls
Rapids
Gorges
A river’s long profile
Upper Middle Lower
course course course

Landforms Landforms of erosion Landforms


of erosion and deposition of deposition
Credit: Oak Academy - M. Marshall
3
V-shaped valley

 A narrow,
steep-sided
valley
formed as a
result of
vertical
erosion by a
stream or
river
V-shaped valleys

A river transports its load

Credit: Oak Academy - T. Hayes

5
V-shaped valleys

● Erosive processes
occur, mainly
abrasion
● Vertical erosion
takes place
● Creating steep
sided banks

Credit: Oak Academy - T. Hayes

6
V-shaped valleys

● The banks are


unsupported

Credit: Oak Academy - T. Hayes

7
V-shaped valleys

● The banks collapse


● A V-shape is left
behind, known as a
V-shaped valley

Credit: Oak Academy - T. Hayes

8
Put the following statements into the correct order

A. Steep sides B. V-shaped valley

C. Vertical erosion D. Collapse

9
Put the following statements into the correct order

C A D
B
A. Steep sides B. V-shaped valley

C. Vertical erosion D. Collapse

10
Interlocking spurs
 Ridges of
high ground
that project
into V-shaped
valleys.
 They occur on
alternative
sides of a
valley and
interlink like
the teeth of a
zip fastener
Interlocking spurs

12
Interlocking spurs

Credit: image courtesy of internet geography


13
Explain the formation of
interlocking spurs [4
marks] .

Include the following words in


your answer:

Transports Collapse
Load V-shaped
Abrasion Laterally
Vertical erosion Wind
Steep banks High hillsides
Unsupported Interlock
Spurs Credit: image courtesy of internet geography
Did you get?

Interlocking spurs are found in the upper course of the river. Here, the river transports its load,
and due to erosion, mainly abrasion, vertical erosion of the river bed will take place. This will
form steep banks (1), which lack support, so collapse. This leaves behind a V-shaped valley. (1)

The interlocking spurs form as rivers do not have the power to erode laterally in the upper
course. As a result, they must wind round the high hillsides that stick out in their path (1). The
hillsides interlock creating the interlocking spurs (1).
Waterfall

 A waterfall is a
vertical plunge of
a river (or other
body of water)
downwards over
a rock face
It can be found in the following
places:
 At the edge of a river plateau

Trafalgar
Falls,
Dominica
It can be found in the following
places:
 At the edge of
a river plateau
which has
been raised by
gradual earth
movements

Kaieteur Falls,
Guyana
Angel Falls, Venezuela
It can be found in the following
places:
 On the sides
of a steep-
sided valley
which has
been eroded
by glaciers

Yosemite Valley,
California, USA
It can be found in the following
places:
 When a
river
crosses a
band of
rock which
is resistant
to erosion
such as a
sill or dyke

High Force Waterfall, County Durham, England


Where waterfalls are formed
Depression in
a stream bed
formed by
the plunging
of water from
a waterfall
Put these statements in
the correct order
A B

The overhang collapses and the A river flows over hard and soft
plunge pool gets bigger. rock.

Option
C 3 Option
D 4

The process repeats and the Soft rock erodes quicker than hard
waterfall retreats upstream. rock, creating a plunge pool and
an overhang.

24
Put these statements in
the correct order
A B

The overhang collapses and the A river flows over hard and soft
plunge pool gets bigger. 3 rock. 1
Option
C 3 Option
D 4

The process repeats and the Soft rock erodes quicker than hard
waterfall retreats upstream.4 rock, creating a plunge pool and
2
an overhang.
25
Gorge

 As the waterfall retreats


upstream, a long gorge develops
below it.
 A gorge is a deep channel
formed by a river due to the
retreating upstream by a
waterfall.
 It comes from the French word
‘gorge’ which means ‘neck’ or
Vitoria Falls on the
‘throat’.
border between
Zambia &
Zimbabwe
Formation of a gorge Credit: Formation of a gorge is an extract from GCSE
Geography AQA, published by Oxford University
Press. © Oxford University Press. All rights are reserved.

A gorge is left after the waterfall


retreats upstream. It can take
thousands of years to form.

27
River gorges may also form when…

 The surrounding land gets


uplifted. For example, forming a
plateau.
 The river cuts downward to
compensate for it

The Grand
Canyon of the
Colorado river
Task: Explain the formation of a waterfall and a gorge (4
marks)

Success criteria:
● All key terms from the box are included in your answer
● The answer is in the correct order (sequence)

hard rock soft rock quicker hydraulic action plunge


pool undercuts

overhangs unsupported collapse repeats


upstream gorge
Teacher model
Firstly, there is soft rock (1) on top of hard rock. (1) The soft rock
erodes quicker (1) due to the sheer force of the water as it falls,
which is called hydraulic action (1) .

This creates a plunge pool (1) in the soft rock, this undercuts (1)
the hard rock, so that the hard rock overhangs (1). As a result, the
hard rock is unsupported (1) so collapses (1), the process
repeats (1) and the waterfall retreats upstream, leaving behind a
gorge (1).

30
Rapids

 Rapids are areas of shallow, fast-flowing water in a


stream.
 Rapids tend to form in younger streams, with water
flow that is straighter and faster than in older streams.
 Softer rocks in the streambed erode, or wear away,
faster than harder rocks. This process is known as
differential erosion.
 The result of differential erosion is that as the
streambed wears away, the stronger rocks remain and
eventually begin to break up the flow of the stream.
Rapids at Kurupukari, Guyana

 https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2939518426289655
Resources

 https://youtu.be/CuxMgeNeII8 - Formation of Rapids, Potholes, Waterfall

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