: Vertical erosion (downcutting) slows down while lateral (sideways) erosion becomes dominant, causing narrow V-shaped valleys to broaden into U-shaped ones.
: Rivers develop winding, "S" shaped curves (meanders) and may leave behind crescent-shaped bodies of water known as oxbow lakes. mature land
: Large, flat floodplains begin to form as rivers lose velocity and start to meander. : Vertical erosion (downcutting) slows down while lateral
The concept is most famously defined in the , where landforms evolve from "youth" to "maturity" and finally "old age". Key Characteristics of Mature Land mature land
The term "mature" is also used in other fields to describe land-based systems:
