A team of researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, used a combination of field observations, laboratory experiments, and computer modeling to track how rivers change course. They found that the process is driven by a combination of factors, including the sediment load, the water discharge, and the slope of the riverbed.
"We found that the rate at which a river changes course increases with the sediment load and the water discharge," said lead author Andrew Wickert. "This is because the sediment load causes the river to deposit material on the inside of bends, which increases the slope of the riverbed and causes the river to flow faster. The faster flow then erodes the outside of bends, causing the river to change course."
The researchers also found that the rate of river course change decreases with the slope of the riverbed. This is because the steeper the slope, the more difficult it is for the sediment to deposit on the inside of bends.
"Our findings provide a new understanding of how rivers change course," said senior author Robert Anderson. "This understanding can be used to better manage rivers and to protect infrastructure from river erosion."
The study was published in the journal Nature Geoscience.
