Depositional Landforms Braided Streams A braided stream has

Depositional Landforms

Braided Streams • A braided stream has islands/eyots of deposited material within the channel. • The deposited material causes small channels that intertwine with the eyots. • Rapid evaporation and infiltration after periods of heavy rainfall can lead to deposition of the load.

Formation Braiding is caused by fluctuations in discharge levels, low river velocity and also by the stream or river losing; Capacity- optimum load which can be carried Competence- the maximum size or weight of the load which can be carried. Braided streams occur in areas where the transported load contains a high amount of coarse material such as sands and gravel The load is deposited within the river channel, forming small islands and splitting the river into a series of smaller channels.

(Braided river in southern Alaska. )

A type of stream made up of many small interconnecting channels, separated by small islands of deposited material, known as eyots. EYOTS

(Braided river at junction of Gakona and Copper River, Alaska)

Main Characteristics 1. Small islands or eyots of deposited material within the channel. 2. A network of small intertwining channels converge and diverge around the eyots. 3. At times of high discharge, braided streams carry a large load of coarse material. 4. Braiding is a characteristic of streams with a variable discharge