Influence of valley type on the scaling properties of river planforms

Scaling properties of 44 individual river planforms from the Cascade and Olympic Mountains of Washington State were defined using the divider method. Analysis of the standardized residuals for least squares linear regression of Richardson plots reveals systematic deviations from simple self-similarity that correlate with the geomorphological context defined by valley type. A single fractal dimension describes rivers flowing through bedrock valleys. Those flowing in inherited glacial valleys exhibit two distinct fractal dimensions, with a larger fractal dimension at small scales. Rivers flowing in alluvial valleys are also described by two fractal dimensions, but with a larger dimension at large scales. We further find that the wavelength of the largest meander defines an upper limit to the scaling domain characterized by fractal geometry. These results relate scaling properties of river planforms to the geomorphological processes governing valley floor morphology.