Which process primarily causes the formation of oxbow lakes in low-gradient fluvial systems?

💡 Explanation

When a river meanders across a floodplain, differential erosion occurs because the outer bend erodes faster than the inner bend. This leads to a cut-off, creating an oxbow lake. Therefore differential erosion from meander migration results, rather than tectonic subsidence, glacial scouring or volcanic ash deposition, which involve different geological forces.

• Which increasing risk to alpine communities results when permafrost thaw amplifies seismic ground motion?
• Which phenomenon impacts regional climate when subduction introduces water into Earth's mantle?
• Which consequence results when prevailing winds weaken within significant oceanic gyres?
• Which mechanism causes stream channel sinuosity in meandering river systems despite continuous downslope flow?
• Which erosional consequence results when glacial retreat accelerates within a fjord environment containing submerged bedrock ledges?
• Which result occurs when increased acidity inhibits bioturbation?