Anabranch

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Anabranches at the junction of the Yukon River and the Koyukuk River in Alaska, August 24, 1941. Junction of the Yukon and Koyukuk Rivers, Alaska.jpg
Anabranches at the junction of the Yukon River and the Koyukuk River in Alaska, August 24, 1941.

An anabranch is a section of a river or stream that diverts from the main channel or stem of the watercourse and rejoins the main stem downstream. Local anabranches can be the result of small islands in the watercourse. In larger anabranches, the flow can diverge for a distance of several or even hundreds of kilometers before rejoining the main channel.

Contents

The term anabranch, in its hydrological meaning, is used more frequently in Australia than in the rest of the English-speaking world.

The term anabranching river describes a river with many anabranches, whilst an anastomosing river is an organic-rich subset of this river type. [1]

The term braided river describes watercourses which are divided by small islands into multiple channel threads within a single main channel, but the term does not describe the multiple channels of an anabranching river.

A distributary is a branch of a river that does not rejoin the main channel; these are common on and near river deltas.

A bayou is often an anabranch.

An anabranch that gets cut off from the main channel becomes an oxbow lake, known in Australia as a billabong.

Examples

Related Research Articles

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A distributary, or a distributary channel, is a stream that branches off and flows away from a main stream channel, a phenomenon known as river bifurcation. A distributary is effectively the opposite of a tributary, which is a stream that flows towards and into another stream or river. Distributaries are often found where a river approaches a lake or an ocean and divides into distributary networks; as such they are a common feature of river deltas. They can also occur inland, on alluvial fans, or where a tributary stream bifurcates as it nears its confluence with a larger stream. In some cases, a minor distributary can divert so much water from the main channel that it can later become the main route.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stream bed</span> Channel bottom of a stream, river, or creek

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anastomosis</span> Connection or opening between two things

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<i>Eucalyptus camaldulensis</i> Species of plant

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arm (geography)</span> Narrow extension of water extending out from a much larger body of water

In geography, an arm is a narrow extension, inlet, or smaller reach, of water flowing out from a much larger body of water, such as an ocean, a sea, or a lake. Although different geographically, a sound or bay may also be called an arm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River island</span> Exposed landmass within a river

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Mompox or Mompós, officially Santa Cruz de Mompox, is a town and municipality in northern Colombia, in the Bolívar Department. The town initially grew from its proximity to the Magdalena river and has preserved much of its colonial character. It also played an important role in the liberation of South America from Spain. Today, Mompox depends upon tourism, fishing, and some commerce generated by the local cattle raising. The municipality has a population of 46,408 and is adjacent to the municipalities of Pinillos and San Fernando. The historic center of Mompox was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995, owing to its preserved colonial architecture and mixture of architectural styles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River bifurcation</span> The forking of a river into its distributaries

River bifurcation occurs when a river flowing in a single channel separates into two or more separate streams which then continue downstream. Some rivers form complex networks of distributaries, typically in their deltas. If the streams eventually merge again or empty into the same body of water, then the bifurcation forms a river island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stream</span> Body of surface water flowing down a channel

A stream is a continuous body of surface water flowing within the bed and banks of a channel. Depending on its location or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to by a variety of local or regional names. Long, large streams are usually called rivers, while smaller, less voluminous and more intermittent streams are known as streamlets, brooks or creeks.

Channel patterns are found in rivers, streams, and other bodies of water that transport water from one place to another. Systems of branching river channels dissect most of the sub-aerial landscape, each in a valley proportioned to its size. Whether formed by chance or necessity, by headward erosion or downslope convergence, whether inherited or newly formed. Depending on different geological factors such as weathering, erosion, depositional environment, and sediment type, different types of channel patterns can form.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Santa Cruz de Mompox</span> UNESCO World Heritage Site in Bolívar Department, Colombia

The Villa de Santa Cruz de Mompox was founded by Don Juan Quintero de Heredia, Adelantado of the Gobernation of Cartagena and brother of the founder of that city, Pedro de Heredia, on May 3, 1537, after fighting battles against the Kimbay tribe and defeating the Chieftain Mompoj.

References

  1. North, Colin P. (2007). "Recognition of the Sedimentary Architecture of Dryland Anabranching (Anastomosing) Rivers". Journal of Sedimentary Research. 77 (11): 925–938. Bibcode:2007JSedR..77..925N. doi:10.2110/jsr.2007.089.
  2. Alvarado Ortega, Manuel (2008). Río Magdalena, navegación marítima y fluvial (1986-2008). Universidad del Norte. ISBN   9789588252667.
  3. NSW Office of Water – "Darling Anabranch" Archived October 16, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  4. "Charters Towers North Queensland". visitcharterstowers.com.au.