Fluvial and Coastal Processes: The Hydrological, Drainage System and

Coastal System
Specific Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:
1. Describe the processes of the hydrological cycle
(evaporation, condensation, precipitation, run-off,
infiltration, through-flow, percolation, ground water
flow).
2. Draw and label accurately the hydrological cycle.
3. Explain the processes involved in the drainage system-
fluvial processes (erosion, transportation and
deposition).
“Water is constantly moving
through the Earth.”

Share your thoughts…

The Water Cycle
Simplified
Water is constantly moving around the planet. Rivers flow
into the oceans or lakes. Water evaporates from bodies of
water (such as seas and lakes) or the land and enters the
atmosphere. Some of the water in the atmosphere falls back
to the Earth as rain, snow or even hail. Some water seeps
into the ground to join the stores of groundwater. Some of
the water in the soil is taken up by the roots of plants. Plants
release water vapour into the atmosphere through their
leaves.
This continuous movement of water from point to point on
or below the earth’s surface and between the Earth’s
surface and the atmosphere is known as the hydrologic
cycle or the water cycle. The sun provides the energy which
makes the water cycle work.
 Terms Associated with the Hydrological Cycle/Water Cycle

Evaporation is the process by which a liquid is converted into vapour. This occurs
on the surface of a liquid.

Condensation is the process by which vapour is converted into a liquid. In the

diagram it refers to water vapour being converted into water droplets in the
atmosphere.

Precipitation refers to any of the forms in which water falls from the
atmosphere and reaches the ground including rain, snow or hail.

Transpiration is the process by which plants lose water through their leaves.
Water vapour escapes through tiny openings called stomata in the leaves.
 Terms Associated with the Hydrological Cycle/Water Cycle Cont’d

Infiltration is the process by which water enters the soil.

Through-flow: This is the movement of water diagonally downslope through the

soil. Some of this water may eventually reach rivers.

Groundwater flow: This is the slow movement of groundwater toward lower

elevations. Some of this water may eventually reach rivers.

Percolation is the process by which water moves downward through the soil.

Surface Run-Off: This is when there is an excess of water flowing over the
ground/surface or when there is more water than the land can absorb.
 Fluvial (Rivers and Streams)

Erosional Processes
When material is removed from the riverbed and banks by the
following processes:

1. Attrition:
Rocks carried by the river collide. They break up into smaller
and smoother pieces.
 Fluvial (Rivers and Streams)

2. Abrasion:
Rocks carried by the river scrap along the bed and banks.
This causes the material to loosen and are then carried away
by the water in the river.
 Fluvial (Rivers and Streams)

3. Solution:
When the water dissolves certain types of rocks; for example,
limestone.
 Fluvial (Rivers and Streams)

4. Hydraulic action: The force of the river hits against the banks. Air
becomes traps into cracks of the river bank and bed and caused the rock to
break apart.
 Transportation

This is movement of eroded material downstream. These processes are:

traction, saltation, suspension and solution.
How Does the River Carry Eroded Material?
 Traction

The heaviest or larger material in the river are simply rolled along the
riverbed.
 Saltation

Particles that are smaller are bounced along the riverbed

as they are carried downstream.
 Suspension

This is when very fine or tiny sediments such as clay are suspended or
lifted (floats) as they are carried by the water.
 Solution

This is when materials that are dissolved in the water are carried
downstream.
 PAPER II GEOGRAPHY PRACTICE QUESTIONS

JUNE 2008
Account for the formation of
(a)
(i) waterfalls (6marks)
(ii) deltas. (6marks)

JUNE 2006
Define
(i) corrasion (2 marks)
(ii) distributary. (2 marks)

JUNE 2012
Describe TWO ways in which rivers transport their load. ( 4 marks)
JUNE 2012
 PAPER II GEOGRAPHY PRACTICE QUESTIONS

JUNE 2011
(a) Draw a diagram of the water cycle and label the FOUR MAIN processes.
( 4 marks)

JUNE 2014&15
(i) Name TWO features produced by river erosion. (2 marks)
(ii) Outline FOUR processes by which rivers erode their channels. (6 marks)