❓ why
Why do some rivers change course and leave behind oxbow lakes?
Quick Answer
Meandering rivers erode the outer bank and deposit sediment on the inner bank until a bend gets cut off. The abandoned loop becomes an oxbow lake.
The Full Story
As a river meanders across a floodplain, faster water erodes the outside of each bend while slower water deposits sediment on the inside. Over time the meander grows wider and narrower at the neck. During a flood, the river may cut through the neck and take the shorter path, leaving the old loop isolated. That abandoned loop is an oxbow lake. This process is common in low-gradient river systems such as the Mississippi River basin.
Key Facts
1.Outer bends erode; inner bends deposit sediment
2.Floods can cut off a meander
3.Oxbow lakes are common on floodplains
YouTube Angle
Suggested video title for this topic:
"How a river cuts off its own bend and leaves a lake behind"
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