Avulsion (river)

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/avulsion-river

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the geomorphic process?Sudden and rapid shift of a river channel to a new course
2. What is the primary drivers?Major flood events, channel aggradation, and floodplain topography
3. What is a river avulsion?A river avulsion is when a river suddenly changes its path, leaving its old channel behind and starting a new one.
4. Why do rivers sometimes change their course?Big floods can push water hard enough to break through river banks, making the river find a new, shorter, steeper route.

Avulsion: A geomorphic process involving the rapid abandonment of an existing river channel and the formation of a new one.
Fluvial Geomorphology: The study of landforms created by rivers and the processes that shape them.
Aggradation: The process by which a river channel builds up its bed and banks through the deposition of sediment.
Sediment Load: The total amount of sediment carried by a river, including suspended and bedload.