Deposition

• What is deposition in a river?

  The dropping of the rivers load
• When does deposition in a river occur?

  When the velocity of the river decreases
• Why does deposition occur when the velocity of the river decreases?

  It no longer has any energy to transport its sediment so it’s deposited
• Where do larger rocks deposit in the river?

  The upper course
• Where does finer sediment deposit in the river?

  It is carried further downstream and is mostly held in suspension
• Where does material deposit in a river?

  On the riverbed or banks where velocity is slowed by friction
• Where does a large amount of deposition occur?

  At the river mouth
• What happens at the river mouth in terms of velocity during deposition?

  The interaction with tides along the very gentle gradient greatly reduces the river’s velocity.
• Factors leading to deposition:


  • shallow water
  • at the end of the river's journey, at the river's mouth
  • when the volume of the water decreases
• What is it called when the river loses energy and it drops any of the material it has been carrying?

  Deposition