How Rivers Drain the Landscape: Processes and Pathways

Rivers sculpt and drain terrain through four primary processes:

• Erosion: Hydraulic action, abrasion, and solution wear down bedrock and banks, deepening/widening channels.
• Deposition: Sediment drops where velocity decreases—forming bars, floodplains, deltas.
• Infiltration: Water percolates into permeable beds (sand/gravel), recharging aquifers.
• Evaporation: Direct loss to atmosphere, significant in arid regions.

The dominant process varies by climate, geology, vegetation, and gradient. Together, they shape watersheds and determine water availability.