Straight Meandering Braided Anastomosing

Basic channel planform types:

planform adjustment

Manistee 3.2

Manistique 2.7Sturgeon 2.0

Iron 1.2

Lower Raisin drains 1.0

Presque Isle 1.1

Sinuosity = channel length / valley length

panform adjustment

Network adjustment

Network adjustment

Network adjustment

Network adjustment

Network adjustment

11

2

3

3

2

2

11

2

4

6

2

2

Describing the Network Positionof channel units

(Horton-Strahler) Stream Order Link number

Horton’s Basin Laws

Nx+1 = hn Nx stream numbers

Lx+1 = hl Lx stream lengths

Sx+1 = hs Sx stream slopes

DAx+1 = ha DAx (Drain area;Schumm 1956)

[ linearized forms ]

ln N = +SO; where exp( is hn ln L = + SO; where exp( is hl

ln S = + SO; where exp( is hs ln DA = +SO; where exp( is ha

Network adjustment(Horton 1945)

Horton’s Basin Laws-related concepts-

•bifurcation ratio = 1 / hn

•constant of channel maintenace = intercept on log-log plot of L vs log A

•drainage density = L/ Area ( units: l/l2) = (Ni * Li) / total area

area

Tot

al le

ngth

of

chan

nels

intercept

Network adjustment