Glossary

Alluvium: In the strict geological sense refers to any sediment transported and deposited by a river, but is taken here to denote fine-grained sediment deposited on the floodplain.
Anabranching: An anabranching river is characterised by multiple channels which rejoin. Channel banks may be stable or unstable, and the term can be taken to include both anastomosing and braided types.
Anastomosing: An anastomosing river is characterised by a multiple-channel form, with low-sinuosity channels and cohesive banks within a stable floodplain.
Avulsion: A sudden change in the course of a river, involving the abandonment or near abandonment of one channel for another.
Braiding: A braided river is characterised by a multiple-channel form, with shallow low-sinuosity channels and non-cohesive banks within an unstable floodplain.
Meandering: A meandering river is characterised by highly sinuous channels within a relatively stable floodplain.
Warping: The seasonal impounding of tidal waters, ensuring deposition of tidal silts to enhance soil fertility.