Planetary Scale Analysis of the Morphology of River Channels and Channel Belt Deposits

The morphology of a river and its channel belt is in part the product of ecological, hydrological and tectonic processes shaping the terrestrial landscape. River morphology is critical for understanding their physical evolution through time, and in predicting the future behavior of rivers and floods. To date, there is no global-scale, quantitative study of the morphology of rivers and their channel belt deposits. Based on a pattern recognition algorithm, we can calculate that the global surface area of channel belts, at an approximate 1 km resolution, is estimated at 30.5 x 105 km2, seven times larger than the extent of river channels. We find that 52% of river channels have a more braided planform morphology with the remaining 48% being more meandering. The new global river morphology (GRM) map and datasets allows new ways to study river morphology and to improve analysis of flood mitigation, freshwater resources management, and ecosystem accounting.