River Erosion The river erodes the landscape using many processes.
1. The fast-moving water breaks and wears away material from the bed and banks of the river. This process is known as hydraulic action.
The motion of water hitting against the surface
2. The broken material that is now carried along by the river is called its load. The load is thrown against the bed and banks of the river and wears them down. This process is known as abrasion.
Scraping or wearing away
4. The water can dissolve some of the minerals, e.g. limestone, on the river bed and banks. This process is known as solution.
Minerals are dissolved in the water and carried along
3. The load itself is broken down further as particles bounce off one another and become smooth and rounded. This process is known as attrition.
The impact of the rock grains hitting off one another
