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Why do meandering streams form an alternating series of cut banks and point bars along their course?

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Answer:

A stream erodes the outsiders of meanders and deposits sand and gravel on the inside bends to from point bars. Both the velocity and channel depths are greatest near the outside bend and stream erode at outsides banks. In the same time sediment erodes is deposited in the slower water on the inside of the meander forming a point bar. Because the outside bank of a meander is eroded and sediment is deposited on the insde of the bend towards its outside bank. Hence in this meandering streams form an alternating series of cut banks and point bars along there course.

User Marika Blum
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