A river cliff is any very steep slope that has been formed by the undercutting of a bank by a river. River cliffs are too steep for soil and cliffs are always bare.

Cliffs may be created by rivers as they undercut their banks. These cliffs ­ called river cliffs ­ will be on the outside of the curving section (meander) of a river and may be from a few metres to hundreds of metres high.

Here you can see the soft sediment, or alluvium, that makes up the banks of the river. Because the material is soft, erosion by the river can work quickly and produce a steep cliff.