Explaining the climate sensitivity of junction geometry in global river networks.

ABSTRACT: Rivers form characteristic branching patterns as they drain landscapes. Past work has shown that the angles formed between confluent channels at river junctions vary with climate aridity-but why this occurs is contested. We show how this climate sensitivity can be explained by the principle that river networks self-organize toward "optimal" configurations that minimize the hydraulic expenditure of energy. Starting from this energy minimization principle, optimal junction configurations can be calculated given three variables: the drainage area ratio of confluent channels, the scaling exponent relating channel gradient to drainage area (often called the concavity index), and the scaling exponent relating discharge to drainage area. Given that concavity and discharge-drainage area scaling va

SUBMITTER: Strong CM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9897458 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature