Question

Give a geographical reason for the following:

Erosion is the dominant activity of a river in its upper course.

Answer 1

Erosion is the dominant activity of a river in its upper course because the river flows over a steep gradient with a high velocity. This fast-moving water has more power to erode the riverbed and banks, resulting in the formation of landforms like V-shaped valleys, waterfalls, and gorges. The river is mainly involved in downward erosion in this stage, which is responsible for deepening the channel and cutting into the land.