Theory 42/Geometry & Scale/River geomorphology
Meanders Scale With the Valley
The claim
The wavelength of river meanders is set by the ratio of valley width to channel width rather than by discharge, so confined rivers meander differently.
01Mechanism
Meander growth requires lateral room; when the valley confines the channel, the bend geometry is set by the boundary rather than by the flow.
02Prediction
Wavelength should track the width ratio.
03Refutation
Wavelength tracking discharge would remove the confinement term.