Which process triggers the formation of oxbow lakes in alluvial plains?

💡 Explanation

When river meanders in alluvial plains experience lateral erosion due to hydraulic action, the river neck narrows because differential erosion increases curvature, eventually cutting off the meander loop thus forming an oxbow lake. Therefore lateral processes cause a cutoff, rather than tectonic uplift sediment supply or increased flow gradient which require other geologic factors.

• Which outcome occurs when glaciers retreat in a cirque basin and leave behind meltwater?
• Which mechanism reduces surface salinity in North Atlantic Deep Water formation zones?
• Which outcome occurs when vegetation loss destabilizes alluvial terraces?
• Which outcome primarily occurs when excessive groundwater extraction lowers the water table beneath natural levees?
• Which erosional process is accelerated when freeze-thaw cycles occur within a cirque formation?
• Which mechanism causes sediment accumulation in pull-apart basins along strike-slip faults?