Geography For Schools

V shaped Valleys - particularly in their upper parts, rivers often form V-shaped valleys whereas glaciers commonly form U-shaped valleys. The V-shaped valley is created by erosion.

Meanders – the curves or bends of a river. This is formed over time when a river flows around obstructions across a wide valley or flat plain, normally in the middle section of the river.

Oxbow lake – this is formed when a meander loop gets cut off from the rest of a river creating a crescent shaped lake to the side of the river

Braided channels – these are a network of smaller channels, formed when material is deposited from the river causing thinner channels of the river to divert around the deposited material (known as braid bars). These are rarely permanent features and they frequently alter during periods of flood.

Flood Plains – an area around a river which, over time, has been covered with sediment deposited from the river. The sediment which is deposited is called alluvium. During periods of flood, the flood plain, which tends to be very flat, is likely to be flooded

Deltas – this is an area of low flat land, an extension of the flood plain, and often shaped like a triangle where a river splits into smaller rivers as it enters a loch or sea. Deltas are formed when the tides have less impact on the river. Well known examples of deltas include the River Ganges and the Mississippi Delta.

Estuary – this is where the river mouth widens out and meets the sea. Freshwater from the river and sea water are mixed in an Estuary. The sea’s tidal currents remove much of the sediment from the river mouth and transfer it to the sea. Examples of Estuary rivers in Scotland include the Rivers Tay, Forth and Clyde.

Alluvial Fan - a large, low, fan shaped deposit of material deposited by a stream when it flows from a narrow valley onto a flatter plain.