Science · 6 pages · 12 min
Why the outside of a bend erodes
The fast, deep thread of a river is thrown against the outer bank, and that bank wears away.
When the purchase is complete, return to the original window. It will refresh.
From the opening
On a river bend the fastest water and the deepest part of the channel sit toward the outside bank. That bank is worn away, while the inside of the bend is where slower water drops sediment and builds a bar. The opening covers why the thalweg hugs the outside, how the spiral feeds the point bar, and what a cut bank looks like.
The rest of the brief — the later sections and the reading notes — opens after Stripe confirms payment.
Inside
- Why the thalweg hugs the outside
- How the spiral feeds the point bar
- What a cut bank looks like
- When bedrock stops the migration
- Where the idea stops applying
- A distinction worth keeping
Sources
- Cut banks and point bars in meanders
- Secondary circulation in river bends