A bedrock river is a river that has little to no alluvium mantling the bedrock over which it flows. However, most bedrock rivers are not pure forms; they are a combination of a bedrock channel and an alluvial channel. The way one can distinguish between bedrock rivers and alluvial rivers is through the extent of sediment cover.[1]
The extent of sediment coverage is based upon the sediment flux supplied to the channel and the channel transport capacity.[1] Bedrock rivers are typically found in upland or mountainous regions. Their formation can have several erosional factors.
Bedrock rivers are also one of the only ways to study incision into bedrock that is not related to glaciers.[2]
- ^ a b Anderson, Robert S.; Anderson, Suzanne P. (2010). Geomorphology: The Mechanics and Chemistry of Landscapes. Cambridge University Press. pp. 422–451. ISBN 978-0-521-51978-6.
- ^ Tinkler, Keith J.; Wohl, Ellen E., eds. (1998). Rivers Over Rocks. AGU Books Board. pp. 35–43. ISBN 0-87590-090-9.