Changes

==Geometry of meander belts==

==Geometry of meander belts==

Meandering rivers deposit sand and mud within well-defined meander belts. The appearance of a meander belt in plan and cross section is of a complex labyrinth of interlocking sand bodies on the scale of hundreds of meters, embedded within varying volumes of mud ([[:file:M91FG173.JPG|Figure 2]]). The mud can make up 50% or more of the volume. Channel features, where they survive, tend to be plugged with clay ([[:file:M91FG173.JPG|Figure 2]], [[:file:M91FG174.JPG|Figure 3]]).

Meandering rivers deposit sand and mud within well-defined meander belts. The appearance of a meander belt in plan and [[cross section]] is of a complex labyrinth of interlocking sand bodies on the scale of hundreds of meters, embedded within varying volumes of mud ([[:file:M91FG173.JPG|Figure 2]]). The mud can make up 50% or more of the volume. Channel features, where they survive, tend to be plugged with clay ([[:file:M91FG173.JPG|Figure 2]], [[:file:M91FG174.JPG|Figure 3]]).

Gibling<ref name=Gibling_2006>Gibling, M. R. 2006, [http://jsedres.geoscienceworld.org/content/76/5/731?related-urls=yes&legid=jsedres;76/5/731 Width and thickness of fluvial channel bodies and valley fills in the geological record: A literature compilation and classification]: Journal of Sedimentary Research, v. 76, p. 731–770.</ref> provided data on width and thickness relationships for fluvial systems in various settings from [[Quaternary]] and older outcrops (Table 1). He found that meandering rivers do not generally create thick sedimentary packages. The maximum thickness for meandering river deposits in his database is only 38 m (124 ft), with 4–20 m (13–65 ft) as a common thickness range. Gibling makes the comment that despite their familiarity in the modern landscape, meandering river deposits probably constitute only a minor portion of the fluvial rock record by comparison to braided systems. This may be because the organized flow patterns associated with meandering rivers rarely persist for long periods.

Gibling<ref name=Gibling_2006>Gibling, M. R. 2006, [http://jsedres.geoscienceworld.org/content/76/5/731?related-urls=yes&legid=jsedres;76/5/731 Width and thickness of fluvial channel bodies and valley fills in the geological record: A literature compilation and classification]: Journal of Sedimentary Research, v. 76, p. 731–770.</ref> provided data on width and thickness relationships for fluvial systems in various settings from [[Quaternary]] and older outcrops (Table 1). He found that meandering rivers do not generally create thick sedimentary packages. The maximum thickness for meandering river deposits in his database is only 38 m (124 ft), with 4–20 m (13–65 ft) as a common thickness range. Gibling makes the comment that despite their familiarity in the modern landscape, meandering river deposits probably constitute only a minor portion of the fluvial rock record by comparison to braided systems. This may be because the organized flow patterns associated with meandering rivers rarely persist for long periods.