A winding curve in the course of a river. A sinuosity of above 1.5 is regarded as distinguishing a meandering channel from a straight one. The dimensions of a meander are related to the square root of water discharge, Q:
where λ is meander wavelength,
Am is meander amplitude,
wc is the channel width, and
k1,
k2, and
k3 are coefficients whose value varies with location. Bank resistance controls meander wavelength, and is positively correlated with meander wavelength (Abrahams (1985)
ESPL 10, 6). Meander bends with a low radius of curvature have deeper pools and more lateral migration; the ensuing bank erosion reduces pool depth via higher sediment inputs. Meander bends with smaller pools have less lateral migration, but use energy vertically, thereby deepening pools and fostering pool-riffle sequences (Hudson (2002)
Phys. Geog. 23, 2).
Eaton et al. (2006) ESPL 31 argue that slight initial variations in the shear stress distribution result in local net scour along the banks, increasing local transport capacity. In a positive feedback, this leads to further local net scour, which is mostly vertical until the channel banks begin to fail, at which point bank erosion triggers negative feedback that increases channel sinuosity. Once one initial bend develops, others inevitably follow; see also Parker et al. (2011) ESPL 36, 1, 70 for a new model of river meandering. See Millar (2005) Geomorph. 64 on equations for the meandering–braiding transition, and Pittaluga and Seminara (2011) ESPL 36, 1, 20 on nonlinearity and unsteadiness in river meandering. The meander belt is the total width across which the river meanders.