Bend, sleeve, meander, elder ... All these are the names of the various elements of the river channel. And in this article we will talk about one of them. What is the old woman of the river? How does it look and how is it formed?
Staritsa: meaning of the word
It’s worth mentioning right away that this word is used not only in science. And it was not the scientists-hydrologists who invented it. So, this word is found in a number of folk sayings. A vivid example: "Hunting an old woman to a vault".
In Orthodox culture, this term was used to refer to elderly nuns or hermits leading a solitary lifestyle. But most often old women were called old women. And the word itself, obviously, comes from a masculine noun similar in meaning: the old man.
However, more often and widely this term is used in science. In particular, in geography. The old woman of the river is the former part of its channel, which over time has turned into a separate drainage reservoir. The term has successfully migrated to toponymy. So, in some Slavic countries you can find a number of geographical names with this word. For example, in Russia there is the city of Staritsa (within the Tver region), as well as a railway station and five villages with the same name.
The old woman of the river is ...
The depression developed by water flows in the earth's surface is called a channel. The old woman of the river is one of its elements. What is he like?
Staritsa (old river , kurya) is a fragment of the old river bed. In the plan, most often it takes the form of a loop or sickle. In rare cases, the elders stretched parallel to the main channel of the river. The terrain in the immediate vicinity of such a site is usually waterlogged and marshy. The old woman herself may look like a small pond. Over time, it can turn into a meadow or even dry out.
The largest elder on the planet is located in Central Asia. This is Uzboy - the old channel of the Amu Darya River, whose length is about 500 kilometers.
The origin of the river old women
How are old women formed? Their occurrence is directly related to the meandering process of watercourses. In simple words, this is the tortuosity of the river channel, which is most pronounced in lowland rivers with slow flow. The meander (or bend of the river) is precisely the first stage in the formation of the elder woman.
When the shape of the river meander becomes too steep, a water stream may one day break through its isthmus, washing for itself a shorter path. This usually occurs during floods or major floods. Over time, the channel straightens, and river water flows along a new route. The junction of the meander with the river is gradually "closed" due to lateral deposition of solid particles (silt, sand, etc.). This moment can be considered the final stage in the formation of the classic old man.
For some time, the old woman will remain in the form of an independent reservoir isolated from the main river. Later it will turn into a swamp or completely dry. The process of formation of the elders can be seen more clearly in the following pictures.
Moscow River and its elders
The Moskva River is a legendary watercourse, on the banks of which the largest metropolis in Europe has grown. In its length, it receives the waters of hundreds of smaller rivers and streams. The channel of the Moscow River is quite winding and includes several deep meanders and old ladies.
The most famous old woman of the Moscow River is located near the village of Arkhangelsk, east of the capital. It is well visible on satellite images and large-scale maps. The average diameter of this old woman is about 2 km. Inside it is a natural monument - Lokhin Island. Staritsa is a favorite place for fishermen. According to them, perch, roach and even pike are perfectly caught here.
The small elders of the Moskva River can also be found within the capital. So, the well-known Novodevichy pond at the eponymous monastery is nothing more than an old woman. Its total length is only 500 meters.