What Is Braided Drainage Pattern?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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A braided river, or braided channel, consists

of a network of river channels separated by small, often temporary, islands called braid bars

or, in English usage, aits or eyots.

What is braided pattern?

[ brā′dĭd ] A

stream consisting of multiple small, shallow channels that divide and recombine numerous times

forming a pattern resembling the strands of a braid. Braided streams form where the sediment load is so heavy that some of the sediments are deposited as shifting islands or bars between the channels.

How does a braided channel form?

Braided streams typically get their start

when a central sediment bar begins to form in a channel due to reduced streamflow

or an increase in sediment load. The central bar causes water to flow into the two smaller cross sections on either side. … The process is then repeated and more channels are created.

What causes braiding in a river channel?

In big floods the rocks and sediments are carried out across the plains toward the coastline. Braided rivers form

when these rocks and sediment build up on the riverbed

. In time the build-up becomes so high that the water, seeking the lowest path, begins to flow down a new channel.

What is the meaning of braided channel?

noun.

a network of channels formed in a river that has a great amount of sediment and a fluctuating pattern of discharge

: the braiding effect is created by the formation of braid bars, around which the individual channels flow.

What factors lead to a braided channel pattern?

  • an abundant supply of sediment.
  • high stream gradient.
  • rapid and frequent variations in water discharge.
  • erodible banks.
  • a steep channel gradient.

What is the difference between meandering and braided streams?

How does a braided stream differ from a meandering stream? A braided stream have numerous, subparallel braided channel strands. A meandering stream consists of a single highly sinuous channel. Thus, during

normal flow, the sediment settles out and the channel becomes choked with sediment

.

Where are you most likely to find a braided stream?

Most braided streams occur where

there are almost no lateral confining banks

, as on large alluvial piedmont fans or sandurs, but in certain regions they occur in confined valleys (often “underfit”; see Streams—Underfit).

What characterizes a braided channel?

Braided channels are

a distinctive alluvial river morphology characterized by multiple, inter-woven branches separated by ephemeral braid bars

(Bridge, 1993, Figure B24).

Are braided streams fast?

Summary. Braided rivers are characterized by their

fast flow and steep gradients

, forming when the bedload sediment is high compared to the suspended load. They form a network of many branches within a channel.

Why is river Brahmaputra braided?

Brahmaputra is a braided river

because it one of the number of channel type and has a channel which consists of network of small channels which are separated by small islands which braids

.

What are the features of a braided river?

Deposits of Braided Rivers tend to be coarse-grained and contain abundant amalgamated channels. Braided river systems are characterized by

braiding parameters greater than 1, low sinuosity, steep slopes, abundant sediment supply, high and variable discharge and high width/depth ratios

(Miall,1982).

Why are braided rivers so common in actively glaciated areas?

In mountainous terrain, such as that in western Alberta and B.C., steep youthful streams typically flow into wide and relatively low-gradient U-shaped glaciated valleys. … Braided streams

can develop anywhere there is more sediment than a stream is able to transport

.

What is the braided stream analogy?

The “braided stream” analogy

captures different information about human origins than the usual branching tree

. … Some human populations of the past did become extinct, they did not inexorably flow back into the mainstream of our evolutionary history.

Which is the braided river in India?


The Brahmaputra

is a very large braided river, which flows though a narrow intermontane valley in Assam with low gradient. It is the fourth largest river in the world in terms of average discharge, but its discharge is mainly contributed by its tributaries. The river is ranked second in sediment load.

Which river has braided channel in India?

Abstract:

The Brahmaputra River

flows through Assam, India, for about 670 km along an alluvial valley as a wide braided river. The width of the river varies with time along its course.

Emily Lee
Author
Emily Lee
Emily Lee is a freelance writer and artist based in New York City. She’s an accomplished writer with a deep passion for the arts, and brings a unique perspective to the world of entertainment. Emily has written about art, entertainment, and pop culture.