River Erosion

According to Alex Jackson, erosion is considered the breakdown of material by an agent. With the case of the river, the agent is considered water. The water in the river has the capability to erode the river's channel and load. This load is consisted of eroded material, usually rock that is then transported within the river until it deposits the load. This load can be eroded laterally and vertically. With lateral erosion, the river channel is made deeper, while vertical erosion is made longer. 

A Level Geography states that there are four main types of river erosion that can embed in the beds and banks. These main types of river erosion include hydraulic action, abrasion, attrition, and corrosion. Hydraulic action occurs when the pressure of water breaks away rock particles from the river bed and bank. The force of the water will hit the bank, and then further push the water into its cracks. The air then becomes compressed and overtime the riverbed may collapse due to too much pressure and can lead to undercutting. Abrasion is when there are pebbles in the bed of the river and it causes them to turn hollows into potholes. This happens when the pebbles in the depression are spinning around near the floor of the channel river. Attrition occurs when eroded rocks collide and break into smaller fragments. Thus, making the rocks more smooth and rounded. This type of river erosion does not actually erode the river. Finally, corrosion occurs when carbon dioxide dissolves in a river to form a weak acid which dissolves rocks. This is common where limestone and chalk are most commonly found in the channel. 

Shows the sediments in the river carried downstream by the water flow. 

(http://www.fondriest.com/environmental-measurements/parameters/hydrology/sediment-transport-deposition/#std1a)

Fondriest Environmental states that sediments of any river can be found nearly in any body of water. When the sediment is floating within the water column, it is considered suspended, referencing the term "suspended load". "Bedded load" is considered to be the sediments at the bottom of the water. The bed load is the portion of the sediment transport that rolls, slides, or bounces along the bottom of the waterway. This can happen when the force of the water flow is strong enough to overcome the weight and cohesion of the sediment. The suspended load is considered different than the suspended sediment in that the load is considered to be the the amount of sediment that is carried downstream within the water column by the water flow. The wash load is a subset of the suspended load. This load is considered to be the smaller particles that remain in permanent suspension. In flow periods the wash and suspended load can be indistinguishable. The solution load is considered a special method of transportation in which the particles are dissolved into the water so only rocks, such as limestone or chalk can be transported in solution. 

River erosion that has occurred on the banks of the Licking River bank in Newark, OH.

(http://www.epa.ohio.gov/pic/media/licking_river2007.aspx)