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Film summary
Meanders and oxbow lakes are found in the middle course of a river. Discover how a meander forms and how this process can lead to an oxbow lake.Key facts
- At its middle course, a river gathers water volume and greater speed, causing lateral erosion.
- Fluvial transportation occurs, as rocks and sediment are deposited along the riverbanks, creating meanders in the river's course.
- Erosion is greater at the outside of the bend, forming river cliffs, while silt is deposited on the slip-off slope opposite, creating a loop or meander.
- Over time the neck of the meander narrows and further deposition cuts the loop from the river, forming an oxbow lake.
Transcript
Although a meandering river may look calm, it has reached an angry adolescence.
Having been fed by smaller rivers further upstream.
The volume of water at this mid-course point has become much greater.
There is also less friction: the majority of the river's volume is not in contact with the riverbed or banks, …
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