Knickpoint
![The Horseshoe Falls, one of the three Niagara Falls. The falls are a knickpoint, formed by slower erosion above the falls than below.](/Images/godic/202501/22/Niagara_watervallen_canada4553.jpg")
![In this satellite image of Victoria Falls, the gorges below the falls as well as developing crevasses below the surface of the river are visible. As the knickpoint recedes upstream, these crevasses will become, in turn, the location of the Falls.](/Images/godic/202501/22/Satellite_view_of_Victoria_Falls4553.jpg")
![Bridalveil Fall, in Yosemite, careens over the edge of a glacially-carved hanging valley.](/Images/godic/202501/22/Yosemite_Bridalveil_falls4553.JPG")
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Knickpoint is a term in geomorphology to describe a location of a river or channel where there is a sharp change in channel slope, such as a waterfall or lake. Knickpoints reflect different conditions and processes on the river often caused by previous erosion due to glaciation or variance in lithology.