V-Shaped Valleys

The cross section of a valley resembles the letter 'V'.

They are found in the upper course (mountainous) part of a river. The river has very little energy to erode sideways (laterally) in this section, however it does erode downwards (vertically).
This vertical erosion creates a steep narrow gorge, the sides of the gorge are attacked by weathering and broken down. The sides of the gorge are made less steep by the weathering creating a V shape.

* River erodes downwards

*Vertical eroisen

*A deep gorge is formed

* Rock fragments are weathered

* Some rock falls into the river

* Sides of the valley steepen

* The result is a V-Shaped Valley

Meanders & Oxbow Lakes

Meanders are bends in a river. The main current swings from side to side which causes the bank to eroide. Where the other side of the river flows slower, all the sand and grit is deposited on the other side of the river, forming a bank or a 'beach'. As time goes on the meanders will form closer together and the two bank cut off the extra rest of the river forming an Oxbow Lake.

- Waterfalls are created when water flows down a rock. The water wears some of the rock away, so the waterfall is steeper. After years of continuous eroison ; the water then falls off the cliff into a plunge pool. Some of the rock that overhangs will eventually fall off into the plunge pool, this will happen more and more. The waterfall will then 'travel' down steam and can force many downstream villages to find somewhere else to live.

Introduction

The River Ganges runs through India, and is a total of 2510 km long. It travels 200 km through the Himalayas.