In the course of a river, in time, which one of the following features

In the course of a river, in time, which one of the following features is formed when the old meander is closed off by deposition?

[amp_mcq option1=”Pothole” option2=”Levee” option3=”Oxbow lake” option4=”Flood plain” correct=”option3″]

This question was previously asked in
UPSC CAPF – 2021
An oxbow lake is a U-shaped lake that forms when a wide meander from the main stem of a river is cut off, creating a free-standing body of water. This occurs as erosion and deposition processes narrow the neck of a meander loop. Eventually, during high flow, the river cuts across the neck, and deposition seals off the old meander channel, leaving a crescent-shaped lake.
– Meanders are bends or curves in a river channel.
– Erosion occurs on the outer bend, and deposition occurs on the inner bend.
– This process leads to the migration and accentuation of meanders.
– An oxbow lake is a relict feature of a former meander.
Other river features mentioned:
– Potholes are cylindrical or bowl-shaped depressions drilled into the rocky bed of a river by abrasive action of pebbles and sediment swirled by turbulent water.
– Levees are natural or artificial embankments along the sides of a river channel, especially in its lower course, formed by deposition of sediment during floods.
– A flood plain is a flat or nearly flat land adjacent to a stream or river that stretches from the bank of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls, and experiences flooding during periods of high discharge.