| Abstract: | Alternative indices of cross-section asymmetry are compared. Observed values of two preferred indices for 567 natural sections across eleven confined upland channels are predictably low along such low sinuosity reaches. Variation in asymmetry of sections located around confined, unconfined but stable, and freely-migrating bends is evaluated. Consideration of the influence of bed topography emphasizes local plan curvature of bed forms as an important control on degree of asymmetry. Variation in indices for bed forms in similar planform locations indicates the levels of asymmetry at different stages of the transformation of channel geometry over time. |
