In the absence of cutoff, how does a river meander loop behave over time?
A)The gradient is lowered as the loop shortens, and the channel migrates toward the cut or inner bank of the loop.
B)The gradient is lowered as the channel lengthens and migrates toward the cut or outer bank of the loop.
C)The gradient is raised as the loop lengthens, and the channel migrates toward the cut or inner bank of the loop.
D)The gradient is raised as the loop shortens, and the channel migrates away from the cut or outer bank of the loop.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In the absence of a cutoff, a river meander loop will lengthen over time as erosion occurs on the outer bank of the loop and deposition occurs on the inner bank. This results in the channel migrating toward the cut bank on the outer side of the meander loop. As the channel lengthens, the gradient is lowered. Therefore, the correct choice is B.

In the Absence of Cutoff, How Does a River Meander