Middle Course Landforms: Erosion & Deposition

• Meander

  • Feature: Meanders are large bends in a river channel.
  • They form in the middle course of a river.
  • They are features of erosion but are also formed by deposition.
• Meander Explanation

  • When a river reaches the middle course, it slows down.
  • The fastest flow of water is from side to side. This causes lateral (sideways) erosion, and the river begins to bend.
  • The processes of hydraulic action and abrasion erode the outside bank of the bend, where the flow is fastest.
  • The outside bank is undermined and collapses. This forms a river cliff.
• Meander Explanation pt. 2

  • The water at the inside bend flows more slowly.
  • The drop in speed causes deposition.
  • A point bar of sand and gravel forms here.
  • Over time, erosion and deposition continue, and the bend of a meander becomes more pronounced (bendy).
  • Meanders form in groups or series
• Meander Examples


  • The mature stage of the River Moy just north of Foxford in Co. Mayo
  • River Bandon at Enniskeane, Co. Cork.
• Oxbow Lake 


  • Feature: An oxbow lake is a lake in the shape of a horseshoe.
  • Oxbow lakes form in the middle and lower course of a river.
  • They are a feature of deposition.