Articles | Volume 6, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-6-583-2018
© Author(s) 2018. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-6-583-2018
© Author(s) 2018. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
25 Jul 2018
Research article |
| 25 Jul 2018
| 25 Jul 2018
Evidence of, and a proposed explanation for, bimodal transport states in alluvial rivers
Kieran B. J. Dunne
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Douglas J. Jerolmack
Department of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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41 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Flood Variability Determines the Location of Lobe‐Scale Avulsions on Deltas: Madagascar S. Brooke et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL088797
- Backwater length estimates in modern and ancient fluvio-deltaic settings: Review and proposal of standardized workflows A. van Yperen et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2024.104692
- River channel conveyance capacity adjusts to modes of climate variability L. Slater et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-48782-1
- Lower‐Stage Plane Bed Topography Is an Outcome of Rarefied, Intermittent Sediment Transport T. Ashley et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JF005754
- Decadal-scale morphological adjustment of a lowland tropical river E. Dingle et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2019.01.022
- Equilibrium of Self‐Formed, Single‐Thread, Sand‐Bed Rivers E. Viparelli & E. Eke https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL094591
- Morphodynamic Characteristics of a Complex Anabranching System in the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau and the Implications for Anabranching Stability X. Guo et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JF006788
- Towards unified scaling relationships for gravel-bed and sand-bed rivers G. Calvani et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2025.109972
- Constraining the Timespan of Fluvial Activity From the Intermittency of Sediment Transport on Earth and Mars A. Hayden et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL092598
- Bankfull Transport Capacity and the Threshold of Motion in Coarse‐Grained Rivers C. Phillips & D. Jerolmack https://doi.org/10.1029/2019WR025455
- Model for the Formation of Single‐Thread Rivers in Barren Landscapes and Implications for Pre‐Silurian and Martian Fluvial Deposits M. Lapôtre et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JF005156
- Smartrock Transport in a Mountain Stream: Bedload Hysteresis and Changing Thresholds of Motion K. Pretzlav et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020WR028150
- From apex to shoreline: fluvio-deltaic architecture for the Holocene Rhine–Meuse delta, the Netherlands M. Gouw & M. Hijma https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-43-2022
- Introducing PebbleCounts: a grain-sizing tool for photo surveys of dynamic gravel-bed rivers B. Purinton & B. Bookhagen https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-7-859-2019
- Threshold constraints on the size, shape and stability of alluvial rivers C. Phillips et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-022-00282-z
- A tenfold slowdown in river meander migration driven by plant life A. Ielpi & M. Lapôtre https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-019-0491-7
- A multi-proxy assessment of terrace formation in the lower Trinity River valley, Texas H. Hassenruck-Gudipati et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-635-2022
- Grain size of fluvial gravel bars from close-range UAV imagery – uncertainty in segmentation-based data D. Mair et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-953-2022
- Quantifying Non-Fickian Pollutant Transport in Layered Heterogeneous Media Under Non-Uniform Flow Field: Bimodal Transport and Sub-Diffusion D. Zhou et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/w18111309
- Bedform segregation and locking increase storage of natural and synthetic particles in rivers J. Dallmann et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-27554-4
- A New Method for In Situ Measurement of the Erosion Threshold of River Channels K. Dunne et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022WR032407
- Variational Mechanics Formulation for Stream Meander Mechanics under Stable State End Conditions R. Muttiah & P. Allen https://doi.org/10.1061/JHEND8.HYENG-14025
- Channel mobility drives a diverse stratigraphic architecture in the dryland Mojave River (California, USA) A. Ielpi et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.4841
- Limits to scale invariance in alluvial rivers R. Ferguson https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.5006
- What sets river width? K. Dunne & D. Jerolmack https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abc1505
- Can Bankfull Discharge and Bankfull Channel Characteristics of an Alluvial Meandering River be Cospecified From a Flow Duration Curve? K. Naito & G. Parker https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JF004971
- Quasi‐Universal Length Scale of River Anabranches N. Ragno et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL099928
- Equilibrium sediment transport, grade and discharge for suspended-load-dominated flows on Earth, Mars and Titan L. Amy & R. Dorrell https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2020.114243
- Does the Threshold of Sediment Motion Constrain the Width of an Incising Laboratory River? T. Ashley & K. Strom https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL099718
- Viewing Earth’s surface as a soft-matter landscape D. Jerolmack & K. Daniels https://doi.org/10.1038/s42254-019-0111-x
- The Pace of Fluvial Meanders on Mars and Implications for the Western Delta Deposits of Jezero Crater M. Lapôtre & A. Ielpi https://doi.org/10.1029/2019AV000141
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- Evaluation of the Fluvial Response to Tectonic Uplift From Grain-Size Distribution in Riverbed Gravels at the Northeastern Margin of the Tibetan Plateau Z. Dong et al. https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2022.824368
- Rules of river avulsion change downstream J. Gearon et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07964-2
- Conglomerate recycling in the Himalayan foreland basin: Implications for grain size and provenance L. Quick et al. https://doi.org/10.1130/B35334.1
- Achieving Equilibrium as a Semi‐Alluvial Channel: Anthropogenic, Bedrock, and Colluvial Controls on the White Clay Creek, PA, USA S. Bodek et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JF005920
- Controls on the hydraulic geometry of alluvial channels: bank stability to gravitational failure, the critical-flow hypothesis, and conservation of mass and energy J. Pelletier https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-379-2021
- Automated detecting, segmenting and measuring of grains in images of fluvial sediments: The potential for large and precise data from specialist deep learning models and transfer learning D. Mair et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.5755
- Spatial Trends and Drivers of Bedload and Suspended Sediment Fluxes in Global Rivers S. Cohen et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021WR031583
- Fine‐Particle Deposition, Retention, and Resuspension Within a Sand‐Bedded Stream Are Determined by Streambed Morphodynamics C. Phillips et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019WR025272
- ImageGrains 2.0: Improved precision and generalization for grain segmentation D. Mair et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-14-527-2026
41 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Flood Variability Determines the Location of Lobe‐Scale Avulsions on Deltas: Madagascar S. Brooke et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL088797
- Backwater length estimates in modern and ancient fluvio-deltaic settings: Review and proposal of standardized workflows A. van Yperen et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2024.104692
- River channel conveyance capacity adjusts to modes of climate variability L. Slater et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-48782-1
- Lower‐Stage Plane Bed Topography Is an Outcome of Rarefied, Intermittent Sediment Transport T. Ashley et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JF005754
- Decadal-scale morphological adjustment of a lowland tropical river E. Dingle et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2019.01.022
- Equilibrium of Self‐Formed, Single‐Thread, Sand‐Bed Rivers E. Viparelli & E. Eke https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL094591
- Morphodynamic Characteristics of a Complex Anabranching System in the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau and the Implications for Anabranching Stability X. Guo et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JF006788
- Towards unified scaling relationships for gravel-bed and sand-bed rivers G. Calvani et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2025.109972
- Constraining the Timespan of Fluvial Activity From the Intermittency of Sediment Transport on Earth and Mars A. Hayden et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL092598
- Bankfull Transport Capacity and the Threshold of Motion in Coarse‐Grained Rivers C. Phillips & D. Jerolmack https://doi.org/10.1029/2019WR025455
- Model for the Formation of Single‐Thread Rivers in Barren Landscapes and Implications for Pre‐Silurian and Martian Fluvial Deposits M. Lapôtre et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JF005156
- Smartrock Transport in a Mountain Stream: Bedload Hysteresis and Changing Thresholds of Motion K. Pretzlav et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020WR028150
- From apex to shoreline: fluvio-deltaic architecture for the Holocene Rhine–Meuse delta, the Netherlands M. Gouw & M. Hijma https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-43-2022
- Introducing PebbleCounts: a grain-sizing tool for photo surveys of dynamic gravel-bed rivers B. Purinton & B. Bookhagen https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-7-859-2019
- Threshold constraints on the size, shape and stability of alluvial rivers C. Phillips et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-022-00282-z
- A tenfold slowdown in river meander migration driven by plant life A. Ielpi & M. Lapôtre https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-019-0491-7
- A multi-proxy assessment of terrace formation in the lower Trinity River valley, Texas H. Hassenruck-Gudipati et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-635-2022
- Grain size of fluvial gravel bars from close-range UAV imagery – uncertainty in segmentation-based data D. Mair et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-953-2022
- Quantifying Non-Fickian Pollutant Transport in Layered Heterogeneous Media Under Non-Uniform Flow Field: Bimodal Transport and Sub-Diffusion D. Zhou et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/w18111309
- Bedform segregation and locking increase storage of natural and synthetic particles in rivers J. Dallmann et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-27554-4
- A New Method for In Situ Measurement of the Erosion Threshold of River Channels K. Dunne et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022WR032407
- Variational Mechanics Formulation for Stream Meander Mechanics under Stable State End Conditions R. Muttiah & P. Allen https://doi.org/10.1061/JHEND8.HYENG-14025
- Channel mobility drives a diverse stratigraphic architecture in the dryland Mojave River (California, USA) A. Ielpi et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.4841
- Limits to scale invariance in alluvial rivers R. Ferguson https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.5006
- What sets river width? K. Dunne & D. Jerolmack https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abc1505
- Can Bankfull Discharge and Bankfull Channel Characteristics of an Alluvial Meandering River be Cospecified From a Flow Duration Curve? K. Naito & G. Parker https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JF004971
- Quasi‐Universal Length Scale of River Anabranches N. Ragno et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL099928
- Equilibrium sediment transport, grade and discharge for suspended-load-dominated flows on Earth, Mars and Titan L. Amy & R. Dorrell https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2020.114243
- Does the Threshold of Sediment Motion Constrain the Width of an Incising Laboratory River? T. Ashley & K. Strom https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL099718
- Viewing Earth’s surface as a soft-matter landscape D. Jerolmack & K. Daniels https://doi.org/10.1038/s42254-019-0111-x
- The Pace of Fluvial Meanders on Mars and Implications for the Western Delta Deposits of Jezero Crater M. Lapôtre & A. Ielpi https://doi.org/10.1029/2019AV000141
- Assessing functional characteristics of a braided river in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China P. Gao et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2022.108180
- Evaluation of the Fluvial Response to Tectonic Uplift From Grain-Size Distribution in Riverbed Gravels at the Northeastern Margin of the Tibetan Plateau Z. Dong et al. https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2022.824368
- Rules of river avulsion change downstream J. Gearon et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07964-2
- Conglomerate recycling in the Himalayan foreland basin: Implications for grain size and provenance L. Quick et al. https://doi.org/10.1130/B35334.1
- Achieving Equilibrium as a Semi‐Alluvial Channel: Anthropogenic, Bedrock, and Colluvial Controls on the White Clay Creek, PA, USA S. Bodek et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JF005920
- Controls on the hydraulic geometry of alluvial channels: bank stability to gravitational failure, the critical-flow hypothesis, and conservation of mass and energy J. Pelletier https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-379-2021
- Automated detecting, segmenting and measuring of grains in images of fluvial sediments: The potential for large and precise data from specialist deep learning models and transfer learning D. Mair et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.5755
- Spatial Trends and Drivers of Bedload and Suspended Sediment Fluxes in Global Rivers S. Cohen et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021WR031583
- Fine‐Particle Deposition, Retention, and Resuspension Within a Sand‐Bedded Stream Are Determined by Streambed Morphodynamics C. Phillips et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019WR025272
- ImageGrains 2.0: Improved precision and generalization for grain segmentation D. Mair et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-14-527-2026
Saved (final revised paper)
Latest update: 07 Sep 2026
Short summary
What controls the size and shape of a river – its width, depth, and slope? The cross-sectional channel geometry of gravel-bedded rivers is understood to be a function of the river's fluid shear stress and the weight of the average particle on its bed; however, there is no satisfactory explanation for sand-bedded rivers. We analyze global datasets and individual river profiles and propose that accounting for riverbank cohesion could allow for an explanation for sand-bedded river channel geometry.
What controls the size and shape of a river – its width, depth, and slope? The cross-sectional...
