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On the nature of “periodic” river bends

  • Hydrophysical Processes
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Abstract

The formation of bends (meanders) can be described by a simple physical model, according to which, water flow in a gentle valley with gentle slopes, once deflected by a random obstacle, starts oscillating from one slope to another, while keeping moving down the valley. The sinuosity of the river (the ratio of the path along its channel to the direct path along the valley) depends on the ratio of the steepness of the slopes and the valley; the mean sinuosity is close to 1.5 in accordance with the available geographic data.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Material Studies, Khabarovsk Scientific Center, Far East Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Tikhookeanskaya ul. 153, Khabarovsk, 680042, Russia

    V. G. Zavodinsky

  2. Khabarovsk Branch, Institute of Applied Mathematics, Far East Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Dzerzhinskogo 54, Khabarovsk, 680000, Russia

    O. A. Gorkusha

Authors
  1. V. G. Zavodinsky
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  2. O. A. Gorkusha
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Correspondence to V. G. Zavodinsky.

Additional information

Original Russian Text © V.G. Zavodinsky, O.A. Gorkusha, 2016, published in Vodnye Resursy, 2016, Vol. 43, No. 1, pp. 54–59.

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Zavodinsky, V.G., Gorkusha, O.A. On the nature of “periodic” river bends. Water Resour 43, 73–78 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0097807816010176

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