RIVER CAPTURE
ABSTRACTION
The lowering and shifting of a watershed
A watershed is shifted due to headward erosion, where the river erodes
backwards at the source, opposite to the direction of flow
This causes the source of the river to shift, which lengthens the river,
and can eventually result in abstraction
ABSTRACTION USUALLY OCCURS IN HOMOCLINAL RIDGES
3 WAYS ABSTRACTION CAN OCCUR:
1. GRADIENT
Where the slope on the one side of the watershed is steeper than the
slope on the other side
This means that there will be:
An overgraded river An undergraded river
in the steeper side on the gentle slope
with more velocity with less velocity
The unequal energy causes erosion to occur at a faster rate on the steep
slope, gradually cutting back the watershed
ABSTRACTION
The lowering and shifting of a watershed
A watershed is shifted due to headward erosion, where the river erodes
backwards at the source, opposite to the direction of flow
This causes the source of the river to shift, which lengthens the river,
and can eventually result in abstraction
ABSTRACTION USUALLY OCCURS IN HOMOCLINAL RIDGES
3 WAYS ABSTRACTION CAN OCCUR:
1. GRADIENT
Where the slope on the one side of the watershed is steeper than the
slope on the other side
This means that there will be:
An overgraded river An undergraded river
in the steeper side on the gentle slope
with more velocity with less velocity
The unequal energy causes erosion to occur at a faster rate on the steep
slope, gradually cutting back the watershed
