Basic Characteristics and Controlling Factors of Anastomosing Fluvial Systems

Although anastomosing fluvial rivers are given much attention recently by some research workers because the result channel sandstone of which is one typical primary reservoirs of petroleum and natural gas, of which the flood plains and the interchannel wetlands are pay zones where coals had formed, the comprehension of anastomosing river is some extent limited at present. Some researchers regard that the anastomosing river river and the anabranched river are the same kind of rivers. In this paper, the sedimentary, geomorphic and hydraulic characteristics and the main controlling factors of anastomosing fluvial system are summarized systematically. Some of the characteristics are compared with others fluvial rivers. Humid climate is suitable to form anastomosing channel systems, in arid semiarid regions anastomosing river maybe develop if many befitting factors combine together. The authors of the paper think that anastomosing river is one typical channel pattern and is dissimilar to anabranched channel pattern.