Meanders are a result of the interaction of water flowing through a curved channel with the underlying river bed. This produces helicoidal flow, in which water moves from the outer to the inner bank along the river bed, then flows back to the outer bank near the surface of the river.
At the site of the disturbance, such as a fallen log or a collapsing animal burrow, the path of the stream and the velocity of the current change, altering the overall behaviour of the watercourse and resulting in the development of meanders.
Meanders are sinuously curves in which water streams move among, transporting high quantities of sediments in suspension (1). These streams flow through soft and deep stream beds, carrying mud (lime and clay), sand and, sometimes, gravel.
Meanders, named from the Menderes (historically known as the Maeander) River in Turkey, are most often formed in alluvial materials (stream-deposited sediments) and thus freely adjust their shapes and shift downstream according to the slope of the alluvial valley.