Junior Cycle Geography CYCLONE 10.2 The Stages of a River
The journey a river takes from its source to its mouth is called the course of the river. This course is broken up into three different stages. Youthful upper course
Old lower course Mature middle course 2. The three stages of a river
Upper Course
Middle Course
Lower Course
Small river Flows down steep slopes Erodes river bed vertically (downwards)
Erodes
Large river Flows quickly down gentle slopes Erodes river banks laterally (sidewards)
Erodes Erodes
Very large river Flows on flat slopes Deposits lots of material carried from upstream
• Narrow V-shaped valley • Steep valley sides
• Load = boulders and rocks Features
V-shaped valley Interlocking spurs Waterfalls
Question Time
1. What is a flood plain? 2. What is the name for the path that the river takes to get to the sea? 3. Draw and label a diagram to show the three stages of a river. 4. Name one feature found in each stage of a river’s course.