Meanders Same Thing Just Different Wording Flashcards
Step 1
A meander starts as a slight bend.
Water flows faster on the outside of the bend than on the inside.
Step 2
So the outside of the bend is eroded away.
Material is deposited on the inside of the bend.
Step 3
This erosion and deposition turns the bend into a meander.
Step 4
The meander bends more and more over the years until it becomes a really tight loop
Step 5
When the water level is really high , the river has enough energy to go straight across the loop, rather than around it
Step 6
This is called a meander cut off
Step 7
The river keeps to its new channel, so the loop is left as an oxbow lake
Step 8
After a long time, the oxbow lake silts up and dries out , and plants grow in it.