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As a river flows from its source (where a river starts) to its mouth (where a river flows into a sea or lake) the shape of both the long profile (a slice through the river from source to mouth) and the cross profile (a slice across the river) changes.
Long profiles
Long profile of a river
Near the source of a river, which is often (but not always) in an upland area, it flows over steep slopes with an uneven surface. It often flows over a series of waterfalls and rapids. Highland areas are often composed of hard igneous rocks, which are ideal for such features to form.
As it flows down the steep slopes the water performs vertical erosion, cutting down towards the river bed and carving out steep sided V-shaped valleys.
As the river flows towards the mouth, the slopes become less steep and eventually the river will flow over flat land as it approaches the sea.
The discharge (amount of water flowing) will increase as the river approaches the sea.
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