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?

Pothole
Levee
Oxbow lake
Flood plain
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.
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