Potamology is the study of rivers (from ποταΜός - river). Today, scientists find it difficult to answer the question of how many rivers there are on the planet, but this number is unimaginably large. In Russia alone, there are at least 2 million of them. It is not surprising that among this number there are rivers with very different characters.
But most bodies of water have some common features. For example, most often you can notice that one coast is gentle, and the second is steeper. You must have noticed this. What is it about?
Our article will tell you about the steep and gentle banks of the river, as well as why this happens.
Different Shores
First, let's get some terminology out of the way. The gentle coast, according to most reference books, has a slope of no more than 40 degrees. The bottom in this place, as a rule, does not have cliffs, deepens gradually.
Coriolis force
Scientists have long calculated that most of the rivers in the northern hemisphere have left sloping banks, while their right ones are steep and steep. In the south, the opposite is true. It has to do with the rotation of the planet. Huge masses of water under the actionits own weight and rotation bite into one side, while the other has much less impact.
Of course, this observation cannot be called an immutable law. There are many exceptions. But the phenomenon is quite common.
Centrifugal Forces
Much depends on the trajectory of the river itself. On bends, water crashes into the shore under the influence of centrifugal forces, forming a relief. Moreover, the stronger the slope of the surface, the more this effect will be noticeable. Rapid mountain rivers, making their way along stony soil or rocky bottom, affect the surface so strongly that both their banks can be steep and steep. But rivers that flow calmly through the plains often have gentle banks on both sides.
So, we found out what is the difference between a gentle and steep bank of the river and what is the reason for this.
