Oxbow Lakes (Fluvial Erosion) Flashcards
1
Q
What is an oxbow lake?
A
A horseshoe shaped lake separated from an adjacent river.
2
Q
What happens to an oxbow lake over time?
A
The water is stagnant and it eventually silts up, becoming a crescent-shaped stretch of marsh called a meander scar.
3
Q
How is an oxbow lake formed?
A
By the increasing sinuosity of a river meander. Erosion is greatest on the outer bank, and with deposition on the inner bank, the neck of the meander becomes progressively narrower
4
Q
What happens to oxbow lakes during times of high discharge?
A
E.g. floods; the river cuts through this neck, and the new cut eventually becomes the main channel. The former channel is sealed off by deposition.
5
Q
What are oxbow lakes features of?
A
Erosion and deposition.
