Describe or sketch the evolution of a meander, including how an oxbow lake forms

What will be an ideal response?


Erosion occurs at the cut bank of meanders, and deposition occurs at the point bar. Over time, as these processes continue, the meander will stretch longer into the floodplain and longer downstream as the cut bank continues to be pushed back. As this is ongoing, an upstream meander may "catch up" and even "overtake" a downstream meander by eroding through (and cutting off) the thin strip of land that separates them. When this occurs, a meander loop is abandoned, and we call this an oxbow lake.

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences

You might also like to view...

Among the core principals of the slow cities movement is the concept of

A) community life. B) visualizing geography. C) Disneyfication. D) place commodification. E) pseudoplace.

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences

International flows of the production factors can help to reduce imbalances in the distribution of natural resources

Indicate whether the statement is true or false

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences

What is the tidal datum in reference to in regions with semidiurnal mixed tides?

a. Mean lower low water b. Mean low water c. Tidal range d. Mean tide

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences

A resilient species or ecosystem is one that can recover quickly from disturbance

Indicate whether the statement is true or false

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences