Four types, braided, meandering, anastamosing and straight River Systems Four types, braided, meandering, anastamosing and straight
Grand Canyon, erosion
River incision in Indus Suture Zone
River types
Links between sinuosity and slope
Anastomosing river stratigraphy
Braided rivers Typically developed in mountainous terrain on higher gradients. Typified by high degree of seasonality. Permanent channels with ripple crossed bedded sands develop during periods of low flow. These channels meander between sand bars that are active only during flood stage, these develop larger scale cross beds. Sediments are typically sandy and pebbly, usually moderate to well sorted, texturally moderately mature. Ancient example- Devonian Old Red Sandstone. Modern example - Saskatchewan River.
Braided River Model
Braided River Model and stratigraphy
Braided River
Braided geometry, Matanuksa River, Alaska
Braided River, Nubra, India
Braided River, Shyok River, India
Anastomosing River, Indian foreland
Channel sandstone facies
Meandering Rivers Typically developed in coastal plain areas, lower gradient. More continuous flow, finer grained sediment than braided. Channel sediment is marked by the deep stream migration of meanders and the construction of cross laminated sands on point bars in the inner bends of meanders. Channels are separated by levees from flood plains that are comprised of finer grained muds and sands deposited after breach of levee during flood stage, usually vegetated. Flood stage can lead to cut-off of meanders and break-through of river.
Meandering Rivers, contd. Abandoned meanders become Ox-bow lakes, filled by clays. Meandering river deposits typified by fining-upward stratigraphy. Sediments are typically sandy, silty and clayey. Well sorted. Sandstones form isolated channels in finer background. Ancient example- Jurassic, Brent Group of North Sea. Modern example - Brazos and Mississippi Rivers.
Meanders in the Amazon Basin
McKenzie River meanders and glacial lakes
Ox Bow Lake/meanders
Point bar deposits
Braided versus meandering river type sections
Impact of sinuosity on stratigraphy
Channel migration-Ganges
Ganges and Himalaya thrust front
Indus River and tectonic uplift, Kohat Plateau
Effect of tectonism on location of rivers
Fluvial facies examples
Indus Molasse, fluvial sandstone
Slumped sediment, modern Indus River
Climbing wave ripples, Indus River