How is an oxbow lake formed?

The outside of a bend has faster flow, which means that erosion occurs there. Over time, this means that the neck of the meander, which is the gap between 2 parallel channels in the meander, gets narrower. When the river floods, it cuts through the neck of the meander, creating a new straight channel. What was the meander then becomes sealed up by deposition, leaving an oxbow lake.

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Answered by William S. Geography tutor

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