Meander formation

This animation shows a meandering  river.  It illustrates the phenomena of erosion and sedimentary deposition along the banks, thus explaining changes in the river bed.

One thus sees:

• Erosion on the concave side
• The transport of sedimentary particles  (alluvium)
• The deposition of particles on the convex bank.

In a meander, erosion takes place along the concave bank, steeply sloped, where the speed of the current is greatest. On the contrary, the depositing of sedimentary particles takes place along the opposite bank, convex, where the speed of the current is at its lowest. An alluvial terrace (meander bar) is thus formed.