"Anabranching and Anastomosing Rivers" by Gerald C. Nanson
Multiple channel rivers characterized by stable islands that divide flows at bankfull are termed anabranching. They consist of a diverse group ranging from low energy with organic and/or fine clastic alluvial floodplains (anastomosing rivers), to high-energy gravel systems, with some carved into bedrock. Anabranching is not as common as single channel meandering or braiding but it nevertheless occurs widely in rivers from the subarctic to the tropics and from humid alpine to lowland arid regions. There are even examples on Mars. Importantly, it is the dominant pattern on the world’s largest ...