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Controlling Factors On Bedrock River Sinuosity In The Eastern Tibetan Plateau, Lydia Curliss

Honors Papers

Average sinuosity of bedrock rivers across the eastern Tibetan Plateau (including the Yangtze, Mekong, Salween, Irrawaddy, and Tsang Po) ranges from 1.20-1.41. From 25°-30°N, sinuosity marginally increases east to west; over the entire distance of each river, sinuosity increases north to south. Increases in sinuosity parallel a regional tectonic gradient in an area with a marginal climate gradient. Several past studies correlate sinuous bedrock rivers in mountainous regions with gradients in climate, arguing that landslides are the main mechanism by which bedrock rivers increase sinuosity. Other studies find correlations between tectonics and increasing landslide frequency. To investigate the role of …