Earth:Riverscape

Aerial view of a riverscape of the Kugruk River (Alaska)

A riverscape^[1] (also called river landscape)^[2] comprises the features of the landscape which can be found on and along a river. Most features of riverscapes include natural landforms (such as meanders and oxbow lakes) but they can also include artificial landforms (such as man-made levees and river groynes). Riverscapes can be divided into upper course riverscapes, middle course riverscapes, and lower course riverscapes.

Riverine landscape along the lower course of the Rhine (Netherlands)

The term riverine is sometimes used to indicate the same type of landscape as a riverscape, or only the riverbank. Riverine landscapes may also be defined as a network of rivers and their surrounding land, which is excellent for agricultural use because of the rich and fertile soil.^[3] The word riverine is also used as an adjective which means "relating to or found on a river or the banks of a river".^[4]

Upper course

Riverscape of the upper course of the Skógá River (Iceland)

In the upper course of rivers, channels are narrow and gradients are steep.^[5] Vertical erosion is the prominent land-forming process. Typical features of upper course riverscapes include:

Middle course

Middle course riverscape of the Manor Water (Scotland)

In the middle course of rivers, the discharge increases and the gradient flattens out. Typical features of middle course riverscapes include:

Lower course

Lower course riverscape of the Vistula (Poland )

In the lower course of rivers, the channels are wide and deep, and the discharge is at its highest. Typical features of lower course riverscapes include:

Wide flat-bottomed valleys
River groynes
Large bridges
Distributaries
River deltas
Floodplains
Meanders
Levees
Kolks

Landscape art

Riverscapes are popular subjects in landscape paintings. In addition to the use of the word riverscape in geography, the term is also associated with landscape art. In visual arts the term 'river scene' is considered a synonym for the word 'riverscape'. Related terms used in visual arts include 'seascape', 'cloudscape' and 'cityscape'. A well-known riverscape painter was Salomon van Ruysdael. Below are some examples of riverscape paintings.