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Factors affecting the energy of rivers

Gradient
1. Steep gradient, makes the velocity faster
2. Gentle gradient, makes the velocity slower
How rough the channel is
1. If there is lots of obstacles in the river, then the river will be slower
2. The less obstacles the faster the rover can travel
Size of basin
1. If the basin is bigger, then there is a larger discharge to transport
2. If the basin is small, then there is a smaller discharge to transport
Presence of vegetation
1. More vegetation, means that there is a Interception delay for percolation to reach the river, which leads to a low volume of discharge
Permeability of rocks
1. High permeability means that there is a high volume of overland flow
2. Low permeability means that there is a low volume of overland flow
Climate
1. If there is a monsoon season/ Wet season then there will be a higher volume of water
2. If there is a high amount of growth in plants, then there will be a low volume
Hydraulic Radius
1. Wetted Perimeter (WP)
  1. More contact with the wetted perimeter, will cause more friction which will lead to the velocity slowing down
2. CSA/WP
3. A high hydraulic radius means that the river will be more effective as less energy is used to overcome friction
4. Cross sectional area (CSA)

Factors affecting the energy of rivers

	Created by Phoebe Fletcher about 9 years ago