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Why do rivers curve?

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Confused about meanders, erosion and deposition?  Why are some rivers raging rapids of white water while others are silty meanders of slow moving water?  This lessons will quickly clarify any questions you might have! Go with the flow and get started!

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Want to learn some of the names of rivers all around the world?  Try this game! How did you do?  What is it about rivers that makes them so important?  Go here and find out why they are referred to as the "arteries of the world." Erosion and deposition are both popular terms used when talking about rivers, visit this site and find out more about each one.  Still unsure about the effects of Erosion, watch this Bill Nye lesson and find out more.

Scientists have been trying to make a meandering river in a lab setting for many years, see how, go to Science Friday and watch Recipe for a River.  What do meanders in rivers eventually lead to?  Oxbow lakes of course!  Finally, for everything you could ever want to know about rivers, visit The Encyclopedia of Earth and get started!  Go with the flow!


Avatar for Javis De'Shedrick Rush
Because slow-moving water can't carry as much weight as fast-moving water, loose dirt and rocks build up on that side, making it more shallow. ... The new curve causes the water running against the outside bank to pick up enough momentum that it slams into the opposite bank further down the river, creating another curve.
11/15/2021 • 
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