Why Are Rivers So Curvy?

Morning waterways!

The Amazon River is… super curvy.

Just look at it:

Why is it so squiggly?

Well, rivers usually flow with the terrain, but a river can easily change shape over time…

Lemme explain:

So, imagine a water mammal digs a hole in the side of a river.

This little hole weakens the riverbank, causing it to slowly crumble as the fast-moving water erodes it.

Water then rushes into the gap, washing away loose dirt and making the hole bigger and bigger…

This causes the river's flow to divert slightly into the growing hole on one side of the river.

At the same time, it causes the river's flow on the other side to slow down.

Which means that a bunch of dirt and sand starts to build up there.

Building up more and more…

Which pushes the river further and further left.

Now, at the same time this is happening, the fast-moving water sweeps around this newly formed curve with enough force to smash into the opposite side of the river.

Kinda like this:

This is where it starts getting REALLY curvy!

Cause that sweeping water starts eroding the left side of the river.

Making it curvier…

And curvier…

Until now, it looks like this:

Just like the Amazon River you saw before…

Ok, but what about these weird little bits?

Well, these are what's called oxbow lakes.

They form when the river continues curving and curving…

Until eventually the curves connect!

And the river starts flowing down this new, more-direct path.

Leaving a large, curved section of river completely cut off!

Stay Cute,
Reece, Henry & Dylan 🌈

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