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Year 10
Edexcel B

River landforms caused by erosion and deposition

I can explain the characteristics and formation of river landforms.

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New
New
Year 10
Edexcel B

River landforms caused by erosion and deposition

I can explain the characteristics and formation of river landforms.

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Lesson details

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

River erosion is the only process that creates landforms.

River erosion does create distinct landforms such as waterfalls and gorges. However, deposition and erosion create meanders and oxbow lakes in the middle course and deposition creates landforms such as floodplains and levees in the lower course.


To help you plan your year 10 geography lesson on: River landforms caused by erosion and deposition, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

This lesson provides opportunity to look at OS maps to find examples of these landforms, looking at change in contour patterns along the course of a river. Practical modelling of the landforms using playdoh can help pupils to develop understanding.
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This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which is not a type of erosion?
Hydraulic action
Abrasion
Correct answer: Deposition
Attrition
Q2.
When does deposition occur?
When a river gains energy
Correct answer: When a river loses energy
When erosion increases
Q3.
What is hydraulic action?
The process of water dissolving minerals
The rolling of large boulders along the river
The scraping of sediment against the riverbed
Correct answer: The force of water breaking rock apart
Q4.
Why do rivers erode more in the upper course?
Because they have a gentler slope
Correct answer: Because they have more energy due to steep gradients
Because they are carrying more sediment
Because they have a deeper channel
Q5.
What is the difference between river discharge and river velocity?
Discharge is speed, velocity is water volume.
Discharge and velocity are the same.
Correct answer: Discharge is volume, velocity is speed.
Discharge is in the upper course, velocity in the lower.
Q6.
What is a tributary?
A man-made canal
A river delta
A deep valley formed by erosion
Correct answer: A small river or stream that joins a larger one

4 Questions

Q1.
Which landform is created by the erosion of a river in its upper course?
Floodplain
Delta
Correct answer: V-shaped valley
Meander
Q2.
What is a gorge?
Correct answer: A narrow, steep-sided valley downstream of a waterfall
A flat area near the river mouth
A bend in the river
A raised river bank
Q3.
Which of the following statements is true about how river landforms are created?
All river landforms are formed by erosion only.
Deposition only occurs at the coast, not in rivers.
Correct answer: Both erosion and deposition shape different river landforms.
Rivers in the middle course do not create landforms.
Q4.
Which process causes the formation of slip-off slopes in meanders?
Lateral erosion
Correct answer: Deposition
Attrition
Hydraulic action