Which outcome commonly results when substantial sediment deposition obstructs a river's main channel in a floodplain?

💡 Explanation

When deposition blocks the primary channel, waters divert through a steeper gradient pathway via channel avulsion because this path offers lower hydraulic resistance; therefore an oxbow lake forms in the abandoned bend, rather than delta growth or mixing.

• Which outcome occurs when freeze-thaw weathering impacts mountainous regions?
• Which dune type results when bimodal wind regimes restructure existing dunes?
• Which process reduces channel capacity when levees confine a river?
• Which outcome accelerates atoll island erosion following vegetation loss?
• Which outcome increases when glacial retreat deposits loess?
• Which process drives the global thermohaline circulation in Earth's oceans?