River Landforms

2023-08-04 Friday
Checkpoints

1. Meanders and Oxbow Lakes

2. Levées and Flood Plains
3. Deltas
4. Case Study: Ganges Delta
01
Meanders and Oxbow Lakes
What is a meander?

Features ：
①Bends; curls;
meanders

②Altering
concave and
convex

③Flat
④Gentle flow
What is a meander?

• meander: a winding curve or bend of a river or stream.

• 定义：在流域的地势平坦、流速缓慢的地区，出现的蜿蜒
蛇行的河道。又被称为自由曲流、河套或蜿蜒型河流。
Structure

Point out ：
▪direction of flow
▪cutbank/concave bank
→ 深泓线
thalweg/talweg
▪convex bank
→ 边滩（点坝）
point bar
Amazon River
▪oxbow lake
Formation

• Question 1: Why do rivers bend?

✔️Topographical and geological obstacles
✔️Altering hardness of the rocks → differential erosion
✔️Coriolis Force and randomness factors

• Question 2: Why do river bends occur

on flat terrain?
✔️Wide, flat river; slow-flowing
✔️Sedimentation occurs
Formation

✔️Downcutting/vertical
erosion （下切） less powerful
than lateral erosion （侧蚀 / 旁
蚀）

✔️As water rushes towards

concave bank
✔️Concave bank eroded,
deepening
✔️Convex bank deposited,
widening
 Formation

Slope Depth Speed Force Evolution Land Use

Concave High, Deep Fast Erosion Backward Harbour,
steep s port
Convex Low, flat Shallow Slow Sedimentation Forwards Settlement
, farmland
Human Use
Homework
①What?
meander: definition and features
②Why?
vertical/lateral erosion and sedimentation
concave/convex bank: formation
（ top view and cross-section ）

③How?
human use of the banks
What is an
oxbow lake?

• oxbow lake: a U-shaped lake or pool that forms when a wide

meander of a river is cut off, creating a free-standing body of water.
• 定义：由于河流的变迁或改道，河曲自行截弯取直后留下的旧河
道所形成之湖泊。又称河迹湖、马蹄湖。
Structure

Point out:
▪oxbow lake
▪ 曲流颈 meander neck
→ 截断 cut off
▪direction of flow
White River
▪concave bank→erosion
(Ruoergai
Grassland) ▪convex bank→sedimentation
Formation/Evolution

• Question: meander→oxbow lake ？

meander
concave/convex meander
bends and meanders necks
bank forms neck eroded
form

abandoned channel original river deposited cut off and

(oxbow lake forms) and congested straightened
Human Use

✔️lakes→regulating floods
▪storage, flooding and sand drainage
✔️wetland→artificial oxbow lake
▪low land, shallow water
▪nutrient-rich salt (original channel)
▪species diversity (independent waters)
✔️develop cultivate land
Human use
Homework
①What?
Oxbow lake: definition and features
②Why?
Formation and evolution: meander → oxbow lake
③How?
Human use of oxbow lake
02
天然堤与河漫滩
Levees and Flood Plains
天然堤是什么？

• 定义：河道两岸因泥沙堆积而产生的高出河道的自然堤坝（高堑河）。
• Levees: a ridge of sediment deposited naturally alongside a
river by overflowing water. （ raised-bed river)
天然堤的形成 天然堤的最大高度与大洪水期的最高水位相当

① 当河水泛滥，挟带泥沙溢出两
岸
② 河水深度急减，摩擦力骤增，
流速减低，搬运力随着减少
③ 泥沙便堆积于两岸，形成天然
堤

问题：什么环境容易形成天
然堤？
✔ 含沙量大、易泛洪
✔ 河床下沉
河漫滩是什么

• 定义：洪水期被淹没而平水期出露水面的谷底滩地。广阔的大型河漫
滩称为泛滥平原。
• flood plains: an area of low-lying ground adjacent to a river,
formed mainly of river sediments and subject to flooding.
天然堤与河漫滩的关系
✔ 河漫滩的二元结构：下部为较粗的河床沉积物，上部为较
细的河漫滩沉积；
✔ 河漫滩占据了谷底的大部分，滩面向内侧缓缓倾斜。

边滩

天然堤
河床
河漫滩

湖沼
河漫滩与环境

• 自然的洪水调节系统
• 天然的湿地生态环境
• 为农田和聚落提供空间
• 洪泛期间会被淹没，造成损失
• 环境阴湿
03
三角洲
Deltas
三角洲

• 三角洲的形成条件
• 三角洲的类型
• 三角洲的特点及影响
三角洲的形成条件

• 河流带来大量泥沙
• 河口附近海流较弱
• 沉积速度快于海水侵蚀速度
三角洲的类型

• 波浪主导型
• 河流主导型
• 潮汐主导型
三角洲的特点及影响

• 地貌多样性
• 生物多样性
• 农业发展与人类居住
04
总结
Conclusion
总结

• 河曲、牛轭湖、天然堤与河漫滩的相互关系
• 三个地貌现象在河流地貌演变中的作用
• 人类如何利用和保护这些地貌资源
 THE END

THANKS