Paragraph on “Rivers and Their Changing Paths” complete paragraph for Class 9, Class 10, Class 11 and Class 12
Rivers and Their Changing Paths
Rivers are formed either from underground springs, mountain ice which melts with the change of seasons or from water flowing out of large lakes. Rivers play a major role in shaping the Earth’s surface, either by eroding mountains or by depositing rocks and soil in new areas. As rivers flow, water erodes the banks and washes away the soil or rock. Over a period of time the currents begin to form bends in the river’s path, as shown in the diagram. These bends are called ‘Meanders’. River currents move the water towards the outer sides of these meanders, as a result of this the gradual twists and turns of the river become sharp bends. The river continues to cut into the soil on the outer bends and deposits the sediments on the inner bends thus changing its shape. Gradually the river cuts into one of the bends and isolates or abandons a patch of water, in the shape of a crescent, and by depositing soil in front of it, forms an ‘Oxbow lake’.