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What is it called when a river changes course?
Avulsion – A change in channel course that occurs when a stream suddenly breaks through its banks.
What is it called when a river splits?
River bifurcation (from Latin: furca, fork) occurs when a river flowing in a single stream separates into two or more separate streams (called distributaries) which then continue downstream. Some rivers form complex networks of distributaries, typically in their deltas.
What does the word Oxbow mean?
bend
Definition of oxbow 1 : a U-shaped frame forming a collar about an ox’s neck and holding the yoke in place. 2 : something (such as a bend in a river) resembling an oxbow.
What is it called when a river goes underground?
A subterranean river is a river that runs wholly or partly beneath the ground surface – one where the riverbed does not represent the surface of the Earth. In karst topography, rivers may disappear through sinkholes, continuing underground.
Why do rivers change their course?
EXPLANATION: Due to constant deposition of river sediments on the slower side and the vast amount of erosion that takes place on the faster side. This process keeps on continuing till the curves get sharpened, so that river cuts through the curve and forms another path and thus river changes its course.
What is a meandering river called?
Rivers flowing over gently sloping ground begin to curve back and forth across the landscape. These are called meandering rivers. Meandering rivers sediment from the outer curve of each meander bend and deposit it on an inner curve further down stream.
What is the area on either side of a river called?
The low-lying area on either side of a river is called a floodplain. The floodplain is covered with water when the river overflows it banks during spring floods or periods of heavy rain. Sediment is deposited on the floodplain each time the river floods.
What is another word for back-and-forth?
backward and forward; side to side; to and fro: a back-and-forth shuttling of buses to the stadium; the back-and-forth movement of a clock’s pendulum.
What happens to the water in a river when it bends?
The water flows faster in these deeper sections and erodes material from the river bank. The water flows more slowly in the shallow areas near the inside of each bend. The slower water can’t carry as much sediment and deposits its load on a series of point bars.