Which process initiates oxbow lake formation when a river's channel migrates laterally?

💡 Explanation

When a river channel migrates laterally, differential sediment deposition occurs because inner bends experience lower flow velocity, leading to deposition while outer bends erode, gradually narrowing the meander neck. Therefore sediment deposition results in cut-off, rather than uplift, deforestation or aridification effects which drive other landscape changes.

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