Meanders and Oxbow Lakes Flashcards

[Click to shuffle]

How is a meander formed?
Click to View the Answer
Click to View the Question

Water flows slowly over shallow areas (riffles) in the riverbed and faster through pools, deeper sections of the river. This leads to helicoidal flow that corkscrews from one bank to another. Fast flowing water on the outside bank causes lateral erosion through hydraulic action and abrasion which undercuts the bank, creating a river cliff. The eroded material is then deposited on the inside of the next meander where friction slows the flow, creating a slip-off slope.

Find out more about meanders and oxbow lakes.

How is a meander formed?
Explain the formation of an oxbow lake.
Click to View the Answer
Click to View the Question

Due to erosion on the outside of a bend and deposition on the inside, the shape of a meander will change over a period of time. Erosion narrows the neck of the land within the meander and as the process continues, the meanders move closer together. When there is a very high discharge (usually during a flood), the river cuts across the neck, taking a new, straighter and shorter route. Deposition will occur to cut off the original meander, leaving a horseshoe-shaped oxbow lake.

Find out more about meanders and oxbow lakes.

Explain the formation of an oxbow lake.
Draw a simple diagram to show the formation of an oxbow lake.
Click to View the Answer
Click to View the Question

Formation of an oxbow lake

Find out more about meanders and oxbow lakes.

Draw a simple diagram to show the formation of an oxbow lake.
What is an oxbow lake?
Click to View the Answer
Click to View the Question

An oxbow lake is a small, horseshoe-shaped lake that is located several meters from a straight stretch of river.

Find out more about meanders and oxbow lakes.

What is an oxbow lake?




Request a question

This contact form is deactivated because you refused to accept Google reCaptcha service which is necessary to validate any messages sent by the form.