Meanders And Ox-bow Lake Flashcards
What are the characteristics of a meander?
Inside: curved beach like on inside bank, gentle/complex slope, sediment, vegetation
Outside: steep drop down into river, several m high, composed of bare earth, unconsolidated material at base
How is a meander formed?
Water flows slowly over shallow areas in river bed and fast through deeper sections, sets in motion heliocodal flow that corkscrews from one bank to another. Fast flowing water on the outside bank causes lateral Eric’s in through abrasion and hydraulic, which undercuts and for a river cliff, the top part of the flow erodes and corkscrews down to the next bend (deposits load as frictions slows), fast flow cause vertical erosion (deepens and asymmetrical), sand and pebbles deposited on inside (current slower), formed gentle slip off slope
How are oxbow lakes formed?
Meander loop becomes v large, small strip of land separates and lateral erosion continues becoming narrow (neck), river floods so main water cuts across neck and breaks banks, every flood creates new channel established by l/v erosions and loop of old becomes detached and flooding causes deposition and marsh
