Factors that influence river energy
Volume of water
Size of drainage basin
A small drainage basin results in a small volume of water in a river.
A large drainage basin results in a large volume of water in a river.
Presence of vegetation
Sparse vegetation leads to high surface runoff,thus,increasing the amount of water in a river.
Abundant vegetation decreases the amount of surface runoff,thus,reducing the amount of water in a river.
Permeability of rocks
Low permeability decreases the infiltration and increases surface runoff,thus the volume of water in the river is high.
High permeability increases infiltration and decreases surface runoff,thus the volume of water in the river is low.
Speed of flow
Gradient of channel
A gentle gradient causes the speed of the river to be slow.
A steep gradient causes the speed of the river to be high.
Wetted perimeter
A small wetted perimeter causes the speed of the river to be high because there is less friction.
A large wetted perimeter causes the speed of the river to be low because there is alot of friction.
Roughness of the channel
A smooth channel increases the speed of the river because of lower friction.
A rough channel reduces the speed of the river because of higher friction.