21: Erosion and deposition in river systems

First river system: slightly bendy course

1) On an A4 piece of paper, draw a sketch of the river system you made in the sand.

2) Using a red pen, label the areas of deposition on your sketch.

3) Using a blue pen, label the areas of erosion on your sketch.

4) Where was most erosion taking place on your river system?

_____________________________________________________

5) Why do you think most erosion was occurring there?

_____________________________________________________

6) Where was most deposition taking place on your river system?

_____________________________________________________

7) Why do you think most deposition was occurring there?

_____________________________________________________

Second river system: very bendy and meandering course

8) On A4 paper, draw a sketch of the second river system you made in the sand. Use blue and red pens to label where the erosion and deposition occurred (just as you did for questions 2 and 3).

9) How is the erosion different in the second river system?

_____________________________________________________

10) How is the deposition different in the second river system?

_____________________________________________________

Third river system: very straight course

11) On A4 paper, draw a sketch of the third river you made in the sand. Use blue and red pens to label where the erosion and deposition occurred.

12) How is the erosion in this river system different from the other two?

_____________________________________________________

13) How is the deposition in this river system different from the other two?

_____________________________________________________

14) Using the words in the table, complete these paragraphs. Some words may be used more than once.

There was _ _ _ _ erosion and deposition in a straighter _ _ _ _ _ system than in a very _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ river.

In the meandering river, the _ _ _ _ _ _ of the river changed a lot. Sometimes the river took _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  to make ox-bow lakes.

There was more _ _ _ _ _ _ _ and _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ in the meandering river system. Most erosion occurred on the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ bend of a meander, because the _ _ _ _ _ was travelling the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ here.

Most _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ occurred on the _ _ _ _ _ _ bend of a meander because the water was travelling the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ here.