River Landforms

River landforms are the visible results of erosion, transport, and deposition processes operating over thousands of years. For the AQA GCSE exam, you need to know how each landform is created, where in the river's course it is found, and be able to identify landforms on photographs and OS maps.

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Upper Course Landforms

V-Shaped Valleys and Interlocking Spurs

In the upper course, the river cuts downward into the landscape through vertical erosion, creating a narrow, steep-sided V-shaped valley.

How they form:

1. The river has a steep gradient and high energy, so vertical erosion (by hydraulic action and abrasion) dominates.
2. The river erodes downward into its bed, creating a deep channel.
3. The steep valley sides are weathered and eroded by rain, freeze-thaw, and mass movement (soil creep, landslides), which widen the valley into a V-shape.
4. Material from the valley sides falls into the river and is transported downstream.
5. The river winds around areas of harder, more resistant rock, creating ridges called interlocking spurs that overlap like the teeth of a zip when viewed from above.