What best accounts for the retreating of a waterfall?

Only one answer is right

1) meandering stream action
2) erosion of the stream bed

Is it number 1?

yes, it is number 1.

No, the correct answer is number 2) erosion of the stream bed.

Waterfalls are formed by the erosion of the stream bed where a river or stream flows over a steep drop or a series of steep drops in the landscape. Over time, the force of the falling water, along with the hydraulic action of rocks and sediment carried by the water, can cause the waterfall to retreat or move upstream.

To understand why this happens, it is important to know that waterfalls form in areas where the underlying rocks are less resistant to erosion compared to the surrounding rock layers. As the water flows over the edge of the waterfall, it exerts a strong erosive force on the softer rock at the base of the waterfall, causing it to erode and gradually recede upstream. This erosive action is primarily attributed to the hydraulic action and abrasion of the water and the rocks it carries.

Therefore, the correct explanation for the retreating of a waterfall is the erosion of the stream bed, specifically due to the force and movement of the water over time.