Meanders Flashcards
What are meanders?
They are curves or bends in the river in its mature stage.
How are meanders formed?
When the river reaches the mature stage, it flows slower and lateral erosion occurs where there is a bend in the river.
What does hydraulic action do to form meanders?
It erodes the river’s bank on the outside of the bend, as this is where the river is flowing the fastest. The bank is also undercut, further eroding the outside of the bend.
Describe the deposition part of meanders.
The eroded material is deposited on the inside of the bend where the river is flowing slower (the river has to slow down at this part).
How is a loop shape formed here?
With time, the bend becomes more extreme and forms this shape.
What is an example of a meander?
The river Shannon
