meander

upright=1.2|thumb|A stream bed following a tilted valley. The maximum gradient is along the down-valley axis represented by a hypothetical straight coast channel. Meanders develop, which lengthen the course of the stream, decreasing the gradient. thumb|Meanders of the Cauto River|Rio Cauto at [[Guamo Embarcadero, Cuba]] thumb|The Jordan River, near the [[Dead Sea, 1937]]

AI overview

A meander is a winding, curved section of a stream or river that develops as the water follows a longer, more sinuous path instead of flowing straight downhill. Meanders are significant because they reduce the steepness of a stream's gradient, affecting how water flows and shapes the landscape over time.

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Wikidata facts

Image: Nowitna river retusche.jpg

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Commons category: Meanders
exact match: purl.obolibrary.org/obo/ENVO_00000427

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~25 min read

Article

20 sections

Contents

Origin of term
Governing physics
Meander geometry
Formation
Stochastic theory
Equilibrium theory
Geomorphic and morphotectonic theory
Associated landforms
Cut bank
Meander cutoff
Incised meanders
Oxbow lakes
Point bar
Scroll-bars
Slip-off slope
Derived quantities
See also
References and notes
General and cited references
External links

A meander is one of a series of regular sinuous curves in the channel of a river or other watercourse. It is produced as a watercourse erodes the sediments of an outer, concave bank (cut bank or river cliff) and deposits sediments on an inner, convex bank which is typically a point bar. The result of this coupled erosion and sedimentation is the formation of a sinuous course as the channel migrates back and forth across the axis of a floodplain.