Changes

The most important river-mouth processes are those enabling river effluent to interact with ambient marine waters, resulting in deconcentration of outflow momentum and consequent loss of transporting ability. These interactions yield specific geometry to the resulting distributary-mouth-bar deposit. The geometry of the resulting sand body depends on the relative roles of three primary forces: (a) the inertia of the issuing water and associated turbulent diffusion; (b) friction between the effluent and the bed just seaward of the mouth; and (c) buoyancy resulting from density contrasts between issuing and ambient fluids.

The most important river-mouth processes are those enabling river effluent to interact with ambient marine waters, resulting in deconcentration of outflow momentum and consequent loss of transporting ability. These interactions yield specific geometry to the resulting distributary-mouth-bar deposit. The geometry of the resulting sand body depends on the relative roles of three primary forces: (a) the inertia of the issuing water and associated turbulent diffusion; (b) friction between the effluent and the bed just seaward of the mouth; and (c) buoyancy resulting from density contrasts between issuing and ambient fluids.

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file:M31F16.jpg|{{figure number|1}}High-altitude photograph of bifurcating distributary channel in the Mississippi River delta.<ref name=Colemanetal_1981>Coleman, J. M., and D. B. Prior, 1981, Deltaic environments of deposition ''in'' P. A. Scholle and D. Spearing, eds., Sandstone depositional environments: AAPG Memoir 31, p. 139-178.</ref>

file:M31F16.jpg|{{figure number|1}}High-altitude photograph of bifurcating distributary channel in the Mississippi River delta.<ref name=Colemanetal_1981>Coleman, J. M., and D. B. Prior, 1981, Deltaic environments of deposition ''in'' P. A. Scholle and D. Spearing, eds., Sandstone depositional environments: AAPG Memoir 31, p. 139-178.</ref>

file:M31F17.jpg|{{figure number|2}}Summary diagram illustrating the major characteristics of the distributary-mouth bar deposits in the subaqueous delta plain.<ref name=Colemanetal_1981 />

file:M31F17.jpg|{{figure number|2}}Summary diagram illustrating the major characteristics of the distributary-mouth bar deposits in the subaqueous delta plain.<ref name=Colemanetal_1981 />