Why do bends develop in rivers?
River Meanders
- Water flows fastest on the outside of the river bend.
- Water flows slowest on the inside of the river bend.
- Erosion happens on the outside of the bend.
- Deposition happens on the inside of the bend.
- The fastest line of the river is called the thalweg.
- As the erosion and deposition continues the meanders become more sinuous.
Ox-Bow Lakes
- Develop as the river becomes more Sinuous
- Eventually the bends will meet
- The river will take the fastest route and flow over the banks.
- Depostion will occur on the sides of the channel and the meander will become cut off.
- Eventually the lake will dry up and new land formed.
Watch an Ox-Bow lake develop in 4 minutes
