Rivers

River - downstream:

3 stages - upper course, middle course, and lower course

Width of river channel increases from narrow, in the upper course, to wide in the lower course.

Depth of river channel increases from shallow, in the upper course to deep in the lower course.

Velocity of river flow increases from slow, in the upper course, to fast, in the lower course. 

Discharge increases from low, in the upper course, to high in the lower course.

Gradient decreases from high/steep in the upper course, to low/flat in the lower course. 

Drainage basin: area of land drained by a river and its tributaries. 

Tributary: a small stream that joins a larger river. 

V-shape valley: steep-sided, v-shaped valley - river narrow, shallow and turbulent

Fluvial processes: the way by which the rivers change and shape landscape around them.

Erosion: wearing away and removal of sediment(material). Abrasion: material in the river scrapes the beds and banks(sand-paper effect), Attrition: rocks and stones knock together and wear each other away, Solution: water dissolves soluble minerals from the bed and banks, and Hydraulic action: the action of water. Water is forced into cracks in the bank of the river.

Transportation: movement of material in the river. The size and amount of material transported(load) will depend on the rate of the rivers flow(velocity). Traction: where material is rolled along a river bed or by waves, Saltation: hopping movement of pebbles along a river or sea-bed, Suspension: small particles carried in a river flow or sea water, i.e sands, silts and clays, Solution: chemical erosion caused by the dissolving of rocks and minerals by river.

Deposition: dropping of materials. Occurs when the velocity of the river decreases and it no longer has enough energy to transport its sediment so it's deposited. Larger rocks tend to be deposited first, in the upper course of the river. Finer sediment is carried further downstream, mostly held in suspension. This material will be deposited on river beds or banks, where velocity is slower. A large amount of deposition occurs at the river mouth. 

Boulder - Stone - Pebble  - Sand 

Erosion landforms - Upper course:

Interlocking spurs: outcrops of land along the river course in the valley. The river is near its source but isn't powerful enough to cut through the interlocking spurs of that land so is forced to flow around them.

Waterfalls: the river often flows over a variety of different rock types. Tougher, resistant rocks are less easily eroded than weaker rocks. The river erodes the land over which it flows and the material scraped the beds and banks(abrasion), rocks and stones knock together and wear each other away(attrition) and then water is forced into cracks in the bank of the river(hydraulic action). As the soft rock erodes a plunge pool is formed. As the waterfall gains more energy the plunge pool will get bigger and the gravity will undercut the soft rocks. As the river moves backward (retreats) into the rock it forms a gorge. This forms a…