Looping Network Meetings

#86 June 1, 2026

Monday 15:00 (Paris/Warsaw time)

José Silvestre (Department of Geosciences - University of Arkansas)

Quantifying loop topology in coastal river channel networks

Abstract:
Deltas are shaped by dynamic channel networks that distribute water, sediment, and nutrients as a function of floods, tides, and other processes. The topology of these channel networks can range from dendritic to looping, with loops signaling a balance between tidal and fluvial forcings. However, we lack an understanding of how this balance between forcings influences loop geometry and variability. Here, we leverage a simple model adapted from vascular biophysics for river channel network evolution to compare observations of loop geometries from both modeled and 18 remotely sensed delta channel networks that span a range of T* values (ratio between tidal and fluvial fluxes). We compared metrics for loop geometry, shape factor and aspect ratio, and the angle between loops as a function of distance. While T* controls the presence of loops in a network, loop geometry is relatively independent of forcing. Our results build toward an understanding for interpreting morphodynamic signatures in loop geometry, which can prove useful for predicting changes in channel networks under changing climatic and human conditions.

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