Which mechanism causes oxbow lake formation when a river's meander neck narrows during floodplain evolution?

💡 Explanation

When a river meander's neck narrows from erosion, a higher difference in hydraulic gradient develops because the water flows more directly across the narrow neck than around the bend, resulting in channel cut-off. Therefore, channel cut-off initiates oxbow lake formation rather than blocking avulsion, rebounding isostatically driven uplift, or stabilizing anabranches, which involve other mechanisms.

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