In the Upper course, rivers flow downhill quickly. Vertical erosion occurs as the river uses its load of large boulders to cut downwards through the processes of abrasion and hydraulic action., Hydraulic action, when the sheer force of the water gets into small cracks and breaks down the sides of the river valley., Abrasion also occurs which is when the river bed and banks are eroded by the load hitting against them., Solution, when the river water dissolves minerals from the rocks and washes them away, As the river cuts down, its steep valley sides are exposed to the elements and subsequently become attacked by freeze-thaw weathering. This breaks up and loosens the rock., Freeze-thaw weathering involves water getting into cracks in the rock, freezing and expanding shattering the rock., Mass movement takes place as the loose rock debris slowly moves down the slope under the influence of gravity or is washed into the river by rainwater., The rocks which have fallen into the river assist the process of abrasion and this leads to further erosion., The river transports the rock debris downstream and the channel becomes wider and deeper creating a steep-sided V-shaped valley., The river flows around rock outcrops called interlocking spurs..

Formation of a V-shaped Valley

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