Which primary mechanism leads to the isolation and eventual formation of an oxbow lake?

💡 Explanation

When differential erosion occurs along the outer bend of a meandering river, the river cuts more directly across the floodplain, bypassing the loop and forming an oxbow lake. Therefore differential erosion via stream meandering isolates the lake, rather than tectonic subsidence, artificial channelization, or glacial scouring which are unrelated processes.

• Which phenomenon causes the deflection of large-scale ocean currents such as the Gulf Stream?
• Which process determines fjord sill depth after glacial retreat ceases and sea levels stabilize?
• Which phenomenon results when air rises rapidly at the Intertropical Convergence Zone?
• Which feedback causes increased shoreline erosion near an oxbow lake?
• Which mechanism reduces surface salinity in high-latitude oceans when warming temperatures accelerate glacial meltwater outflow?
• Which effect occurs due to Earth's rotation on large-scale wind patterns near the equator?