Investigating river flow velocity

Course links: GCSE • IGCSE • A-level • IA-level • IB • National 5 • Higher Geography

Contents

Faster flowing rivers have more energy and can have a greater impact on the landscape through the erosion and transportation of sediment. So, geographers are often very interested in how fast a river flows, its velocity.

In this video, we team up with fluvial geomorphologist Dr Hywel Griffiths and fieldwork specialist Sam Hawkins to explore how we can investigate this in the field through different techniques to measure river flow velocity.

Acknowledgments

Written and developed by: Nick Lapthorn, Janine Maddison, Sam Hawkins, Hywel Griffiths, Rob Parker, Harriet Ridley, Tim Parker.

Videography by: Aaron Ealing-Vose, Harriet Ridley, Emilie Bilbie, Rob Parker.

Attributions

Erosion by the USGS is in the public domain.

Index, WA, 12-15-06 by Marvin Nauman/FEMA is in the public domain.