In the course of a river, in time, which one of the following features is formed when the old meander is closed off by deposition?

An oxbow lake is a horseshoe-shaped water body formed in the lower course of a river when a meander loop is cut off from the main channel [2]. The process begins with continuous lateral erosion on the outer concave bank and deposition on the inner convex bank, which narrows the meander neck [1]. Eventually, often during a flood, the river breaches this narrow neck to take a shorter, straighter path [2]. Following this breach, ongoing deposition of sediment occurs at the ends of the abandoned loop, effectively sealing it off from the new river channel [3]. This results in an independent, stagnant water body known as an oxbow lake [3]. In contrast, potholes are erosional features in the riverbed, levees are raised banks formed by overbank deposition, and floodplains are broad flat areas adjacent to the river [4].

Sources

1. [1] FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 6: Landforms and their Evolution > Meanders > p. 51
2. [2] Certificate Physical and Human Geography , GC Leong (Oxford University press 3rd ed.) > Chapter 5: Landforms made by Running Water > THE LOWER OR PLAIN COURSE > p. 53
3. [3] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 16: Fluvial Landforms and Cycle of Erosion > Oxbow Lake > p. 200
4. [4] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 16: Fluvial Landforms and Cycle of Erosion > Meanders > p. 199