Question

With the aid of well labelled diagrams, describe how a river capture occurs.

Answer 1

 

• River capture may only occur where there are 2 adjacent rivers/ share a watershed
• One river has more erosive power than the other
• The more powerful river erodes vertically faster than weaker one thus flows at lower level than than the other.
• The more power river erodes it's valley towards the other other river's valley through head-ward erosion.
• Eventually, the powerful river joins valley of weaker river
• The powerful river diverts the head waters of the weaker river into it's channel
• The diversion of the headwaters is called river capture.