A river is a natural flowing body of water that consistently flows across the land surface, driven primarily by gravity and differential elevation. Scientifically, these systems are studied through hydrology and fluvial geomorphology, examining the interaction between water flow and the physical landscape. The force of the current facilitates both erosion and deposition; energy from the flow wears away material from the streambank and riverbed (erosion), which is subsequently transported downstream as sediment load. When the flow energy decreases, the material is deposited, forming characteristic features such as point bars, meanders, and floodplains. The characteristics of a river—including its gradient, discharge volume, and sediment composition—determine its unique erosional and depositional patterns.