Lesson Y7-U03-L05

Waterfalls: A Landform of Erosion Quiz: KS3 Geography, Unit 3

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson Y7-U03-L05, Waterfalls: A Landform of Erosion: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 Geography (National Curriculum), Unit 3: Year 7: Rivers and the Water Cycle, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. Which type of rock forms the resistant cap on top of a waterfall?

    • Loose sand
    • Permeable clay
    • Soft rock
    • Hard rock

  2. Which layer of rock wears away faster beneath a waterfall cap?

    • Granite shelf
    • Basalt layer
    • Soft rock
    • Hard rock

  3. What erosion process involves water forcing its way into cracks?

    • Attrition
    • Hydraulic action
    • Abrasion
    • Solution

  4. What erosion process involves river stones scraping along the river bed?

    • Attrition
    • Hydraulic action
    • Abrasion
    • Solution

  5. What is the deep hole carved out at the base of a waterfall called?

    • V-shaped valley
    • Meander bend
    • Plunge pool
    • Oxbow lake

  6. What is the wearing away of soft rock beneath hard rock called?

    • Abrasion
    • Undercutting
    • Deposition
    • Attrition

  7. What landform is created when a river drops over a steep step in the rock?

    • Waterfall
    • Meander
    • Estuary
    • Gorge

  8. What type of rock forms the overhanging cap at the top of a waterfall?

    • Permeable rock
    • Sedimentary rock
    • Hard rock
    • Soft rock

  9. What happens when the overhanging hard rock loses its support?

    • It collapses
    • It dissolves
    • It floats away
    • It freezes

  10. Which order shows how a waterfall forms, starting from the rock before any erosion? (a) overhang collapses (b) soft rock undercut (c) hard rock lies on soft rock (d) waterfall retreats

    • c, a, b, d
    • b, c, a, d
    • c, b, a, d
    • d, b, c, a

  11. What steep-sided valley is left behind as a waterfall retreats upstream?

    • An estuary
    • A V-shaped valley
    • A floodplain
    • A gorge

  12. Which rock layer is eroded most quickly at a waterfall?

    • Hard rock above
    • Igneous rock cap
    • Soft rock below
    • Dry riverbed

  13. Which two main erosion processes help carve out a waterfall plunge pool?

    • Attrition and solution
    • Hydraulic action and abrasion
    • Deposition and transportation
    • Evaporation and condensation

  14. Which rock layer sits on top of a waterfall step?

    • Hard rock
    • Sand base
    • Mudstone
    • Soft rock

  15. What feature is left behind as a waterfall retreats upstream over thousands of years?

    • A meander
    • A delta
    • A floodplain
    • A gorge

  16. Why does the hard rock cap collapse into the river?

    • Lack of support
    • Chemical weathering
    • Excessive heat
    • Increased friction

  17. Why can a waterfall not form if all the rock has equal hardness?

    • Water is too slow
    • Lack of deposition
    • Too much friction
    • No differential erosion

  18. Why do valley walls remain steep as a waterfall retreats?

    • Deposition of silt
    • Continuous erosion backwards
    • Wind weathering
    • Tectonic uplift

  19. What evidence proves a waterfall has retreated upstream over time?

    • A depositional delta
    • A steep gorge
    • A shallow lake
    • A wide floodplain

  20. Which structural arrangement of rock creates a waterfall?

    • Only soft rock
    • Soft over hard
    • Hard over soft
    • Only hard rock

All KS3 Geography quizzes