Talk:Avulsion (river)

Avulsions in deltaic settings

I changed a bunch of things in the Deltaic and net-depositional settings section.

1. Topsets are not common knowledge, and there is no article on them, so I removed the reference. Also, connecting topsets to a single avulsion on a deltais probably not correct, since a single avulsion will only create one channel deposit, and it requires a much longer period of time and delta evolution to start using sequence strat terms.
2. "The main channel in which the deposition is occuring causes repeated splitting of the stream in to distributary channels.": no subject to perform the verb, so changed it
3. "This action of main channel splitting into different streams is called an avulsion." - not sure what the reference says, but avulsions aren't the formation of a distributary network, though multiple avulsions can cause the formation of a distributary network by building a network of channels.

Awickert (talk) 19:31, 7 December 2008 (UTC)

Merger proposal

I propose that Delta switching be merged into this article, and that the "Delta switching" become a redirect for the section of this article that deals with avulsions on deltas, for the following reasons:

1. Avulsion applies to the rapid change in course of a river by abandonment of the old channel in both continental and deltaic settings. As such, Delta switching is a subset of river channel avulsion.
2. The term Avulsion is somewhat more common in the professional literature than delta switching, and is especially more common among the community that studies deltaic evolution.
3. Delta switching is not sufficiently well-maintained: vandalism stayed on the page for 6 months before it was noticed and reverted.
4. Avulsion (river) is longer and more well-developed than Delta switching, and could easily incorporate the text and references from Delta switching into the section on Deltaic and net-depositional settings, which would help strengthen the article.

Awickert (talk) 23:33, 7 December 2008 (UTC)

No discussion after 12 days, so assuming consent. Merging. Awickert (talk) 05:00, 19 December 2008 (UTC)