Find out more about meanders and oxbow lakes.

Characteristics of a gorge include:

• very narrow valley
• very steep, high valley sides is
• located immediately downstream of a waterfall
• river channel takes up most, if not all, of the valley floor
• boulders litter the river bed
• turbulent, fast-flowing whitewater

Find out more about the landforms of erosion in the upper course of a river.

A waterfall is a step in the long profile of the valley. It is where water falls down the vertical drop in the channel usually from a considerable height.

Find out more about the landforms of erosion in the upper course of a river.

Rapids form when there is vertical bedding which is when alternate bands of hard and soft rock cross the channel. Differential erosion will occur as the soft rock is more easily eroded than hard rock. This makes the riverbed uneven and river’s flow becomes turbulent leading to white water sections typical of rapids.

Find out more about the landforms of erosion in the upper course of a river.

Interlocking spurs are fingers of land that jut out into the river valley that streams and rivers are forced to flow around in the upper course.

Find out more about the landforms of erosion in the upper course of a river.