MEANDERS CAUSED BY HYPERCONCENTRATED WATER FLOW: AN EXAMPLE FROM THE LOESS PLATEAU, CHINA
高含沙型曲流河床形成机理的初步研究

This paper has described meandering alluvial rivers with mean annual suspended sediment concentration of more than 100kg/m3 on the Loess Plateau, China, and explained their formation cause by the effect of hyperconcentrated water flow. When the river is predominated by hyperconcentrated flow, its rate of energy expenditure needel for isediment transport will decline significantly. Accordingly the river channel will adjust itself to a lower channel gradient by increasing the river length, and then a meandering channel is achieved. Since the stable transportation of sediment by hyperconcentrated flow is' dependent on river channel boundary conditions, the latter plays an important role in formation of meanders of this kind. Also, this paper has discussed the conditions for the discrimination of meandering and braided rivers in this area.