DISTRIBUTION OF ESTUARINE MEANDERS.
Abstract
A world-wide map survey of the occurrence and distribution of estuarine meanders forms the basis for this investigation. This distribution is related to environmental conditions in order to arrive at conclusions about the factors enter ing into the development of estuarine meanders, and to ascertain whether estuarine meanders con stitute characteristic landform elements of cer tain types of coasts. It was found that there is no significant dependence of estuarine meander development upon tidal range, except that on tideless coasts and on coasts with a very small tidal range estuarine meanders are absent for lack of alternating tidal currents of sufficient strength. Eighty-seven percent of all observed estuarine meander sites occur on mangrove coasts, lagoon-barrier coasts, deltaic coasts, and embayed plateau or coastal plain coasts - a con centration which indicates that these coastal types provide especially favorable conditions, namely, locations sheltered from wave attack, and the availability of fine material for deposition in the form of tidal flats. Additional require ments are the presence of alternating tidal currents flowing with comparable maximum strength at about the same water level, and relative sta bility of sea level since the last major glacio eustatic adjustments took place. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1963
- Accession Number
- AD0413344
Entities
People
- Frank Ahnert
Organizations
- University of Maryland