deposition river landforms Flashcards
what is a meander?
a large bend in a river
which courses of the river do meanders develop in?
the middle and lower coure
in a meander, how is a river cliff formed?
the water moves faster on the outside of the bend, therefore more erosion takes place there and forms cliffs
why is the water faster on the outside of the meander?
because the water is deeper
in a meander how are slip off slopes created?
on the inside of the bend the river flows slower, therfore it drops the material it has been carrying which forms a slope.
why does the water flow slower on the inside of the meander?
Because it is shallower
how is an oxbow lake formed?
erosion causes the outside bends to get closer together, eventually the two bends meet, the river flows down the shortest course, and deposition eventually cuts off the meander, forming a river and an oxbow lake
what are flood plains?
flat areas of land that flood
how is a flood plain built up?
when a flood plain floods, the water slows down and deposits the material the river has been carrying - this builds up the flood plain
what are levees?
levees are natural embankments
how are levees formed?
gwhen eroded material is deposited on a flood plain the heaviest material is deposited first this means the material builds up forming a levee
What are deltas?
deltas are low lying areas where rivers meet the sea or lake
how are deltas formed?
when rivers meet the sea or lake they slow down causing them to deposit the material they have been carrying, the channel gets blocked causing them to split into smaller rivers called distributaries, material builds up and deltas are formed
what are the three types of delta called?
- arcuate
- cuspate
- bird’s foot
describe a arcuate delta?
arcuate deltas have a rounded shape and lots of distributaries
