GCSE help about Rivers?

I'm confused why in the upper course vertical erosion happens, (making it more steep) and in the lower course, lateral erosion happens (making the land flatter). Is there actually a reason for it or is it just something we should be aware of lol

What spec do u follow does it say u need to know that specifically? I'd say its cuz more gpe in upper course so more vertical erosion

I do edexcel A, it doesn't directly say you need to know exactly why vertical erosion happens in the upper course or lateral erosion in the middle but I just thought it might be useful in understanding that lmao as the topic pops up a lot when you need to know about the upper, middle lower etc.
And by gpe, do you mean gravitational potenital energy? if so, is it okay if you could explain on that a little more? ❤️ (like why is there more gpe in the upper course and how that has an effect on the erosion)

In the upper course of a river, vertical erosion is In the upper course, the river is often found in mountainous or hilly areas where the gradient, or slope, is much steeper. The steep slope means that water flows more rapidly, increasing its kinetic energy. As the water flows downhill, its GPE (which is highest at the top) is converted into kinetic energy, allowing the river to erode the riverbed more effectively through processes like hydraulic action and abrasion.
Because the river has a lot of energy in its upper course due to the steep gradient, this energy is mainly used to cut downwards into the riverbed, creating deep, narrow valleys. This downward erosion is what we call vertical erosion.

omg thank you so muchhhhh this was so helpful!!!!!! 🥺🥺💖

oh, I just started year 11 yesterday ;-; i did do year 9 rivers but we didnt rlly go into that much detail with that particular bit of rivers lmao