How is it possible for entrenched meanders to form?
How is it possible for entrenched meanders to form?
An entrenched river or a stream flows through a narrow trench or a valley to cut into a plain. Due to the lateral erosion, the streamflow over the gentle slops over a long period of time and develop a meandering profile. That is in an S-shaped form and here the gradient is gentle as an example of the flood plain or delta.
The meandering is generally found in the middle profile of the streams which is made by the mature stream. Such meanders are also called entrenched or incised meanders, they can also be formed during the upliftment of land when the river is young. Later on hey widen and form canyons.
They are commonly called ingrown meanders which occur when the downstream cutting process is slow and the river makes an asymmetrical valley. They may also form when the rapid incision may take place.
Such as when the bedrocks do not have the opportunity to erode. The growth and development of the meanders depend on the factors such as bedrocks, lithology, climate, and tectonic forces.
The most possible cause for such formation is the changes in the tectonic upliftment of the are when sea levels lowering occurs. The tectonic movements influence the spatial pattern erosion and sedimentation. Thus leading to the formation of the entrenched meanders.
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