The River Tees

Rivers GCSE Case Study


Use the information in this StoryMap to fill in your factfile on the River Tees.

Background

The River Tees flows for 110km from Cross Fell in Cumbria eastwards towards the North Sea. This case study will take you on a journey from from the   source   to the   mouth   and will focus in on the landforms and changing features.

The course and key features of the River Tees

Use the link below to discover the location of the River Tees within England, and use this and the above information to write the locational description in your factfile.

Open the land cover tab, describe in your factfile the main land use in the upper, middle and lower course.

The Source

The Upper course of the River Tees starts at the source on Cross Fell. This is an area of moorland, an area of boggy ground. This is 600m above sea level. It is close to the crest of the Pennine Hills. The annual rainfall is 1200mm. For over 6 months of the year the saturated peatbog (the bedrock is impermeable) allows water to flow out of it, forming the river. The key point is that there is not one single point for the source.

River Tees in the Pennines, near the source.

The Upper Course

The Tees at this point has a narrow channel. It has already started to form a typical   V-Shaped valley   as   vertical erosion   dominates in the upper course. The bedload at this point is large and is angular and the traction and saltation processes lead to a deepening of the river valley.

Vertical erosion is predominant in the upper course. This is because the steep gradient and high gravitational potential energy cuts V-shape valleys in the surrounding landscape. Look at the 360 photograph below, does this part of the river show all the characteristics of the upper course?

The River Tees, upstream from High Force waterfall.

High Force Waterfall

High Force is a good example of a   waterfall  . The upper layer is made of hard igneous rock called Whinstone overlying weaker rocks such as sandstones and slate. As the waterfall erodes, it creates a steep sided   gorge  .

High Force waterfall

The waterfall is 21m (91ft) in height making it the tallest waterfall the in the UK. That is still nothing compared to the tallest in the world, Angel Falls, Venezuela, which is 979m!

Diagram of waterfall formation

The Middle Course

Below Middleton-in-Teesdale the valley gets wider and the river receives water from three major   tributaries   - the Lune, the Balder and the Greta. Large areas of these tributary valleys have been dammed to provide water for the main towns of Teeside. These are good locations for   reservoirs   as the valleys are narrow and deep and have impermeable rock.

The land here is also not very fertile. Can you find out what the reservoirs are called?

GB Topographic

Small meanders can be found in the middle course. Below is a photograph taken along the middle course meander, can you identify any channel features?

Middle Course of the River Tees, near Darlington.

The Lower Course

From Yarm, the river has   levees  . These are a natural form of flood defence. The lower course is dominated by deposition as the river slows and becomes tidal (due to the influence of the sea) as it approaches its mouth. This sediment is very fine and builds up mudflats.

Can you find any oxbow lakes?

Deposited sediment on the floodplain (Levees).

Can you see the levees along the lower course?

Levees along the River Tees' lower course.

These flat areas closer to the sea have led to the growth of the industries of Teeside and the urbanisation linked to it. Being this close to the sea allows large ships to import and export goods.

River Tees Estuary, Middlesbrough

Mudflats at the estuary of the River Tees.

Plan out an answer to the following question:

Q: To what extent does the River Tees illustrate the features normally associated with a river’s course from its source to its mouth? (6 marks)

The course and key features of the River Tees

River Tees in the Pennines, near the source.

High Force waterfall

Diagram of waterfall formation

Deposited sediment on the floodplain (Levees).

Mudflats at the estuary of the River Tees.