Delta Channel Research Articles

Evaluate climate change and anthropogenic activities influencing geochemical variations in sediment between and within the avulsion period in the Lower Yellow River avulsion channels

The geochemical data from sediments in avulsion channels provide historical evidence of climate change and human-induced alterations in river basin environments. The present study focused on the particle size of sediments in cores and the level of geochemical variation in avulsion channels of the Lower Yellow River Delta (YRD), China. The sediment samples were collected in a depth range of 20–400 cm in avulsion channels. The collected samples were analyzed for sediment particle size and geochemical composition using standard methods. The results demonstrated rapid increases in agriculture practices, rainfall pattern changes, and terrestrial sediment runoff reduction in river basins after the 1960s. The reduced sediment loads in the Sanmenxia Reservoir significantly changed the sediment grain size and geochemical levels in the avulsion channel from August 1960.8 to January −1961.1. In particular, TC, TN, and C/N levels decreased with increasing sediment depth. The C/N values of <12 denoted completely reduced terrestrial sources of organic matter in the channel during the August 1960–January 1961 period compared to the July 1953–August 1960 period. The two-way ANOVA p-values were (p <0.016-p<0.001) strong between the avulsion periods but had no significant variation within the avulsion periods. We emphasize that this study provides a close interplay of different historical periods of geochemical variation in avulsion channel sediments in the alluvial fan YRD, and we argue that the evolution of the middle upstream river basin was subjective by climate change and human developmental actions, which impacted the YRD. In particular, reservoir-interrupted water flow and sediment reduction impacts associated with geochemical fluctuations are documented in the YRD.

Applying seismic sedimentology to characterize the architecture of a fan delta complex: Triassic Baikouquan formation, Mahu Sag, Junggar Basin, western China

Reservoir architecture is often heterogeneous and can affect the migration and accumulation of hydrocarbons. The Triassic Baikouquan Formation in the Mahu oilfield presents a unique opportunity to use seismic data for fan delta channel and lobe belt characterization in an area with a sparse well spacing of about 800–1200 m. The Baikouquan Formation comprises coarse-grained lacustrine fan delta units deposited by traction and debris flows. The occurrence, distribution, and morphology were investigated using petrography, frequency spectrum decomposition, stratal slices, seismic forward modeling, and wireline logs. Fan-shaped lobe complexes and distributary channel complexes (sixth-order architectural units) exhibiting relatively large lateral and vertical variation were identified from 45- and 60-Hz seismic profiles. Channel and fan-shaped lobe belts (fifth-order architectural units) were investigated by integrating provenances, architectural elements from individual wells, the ratio of conglomerate to formation, cross section analysis, and seismic stratal slices. Four channel belts and three fan-shaped lobe belts were recognized, occurring in six evolutionary stages. It was discovered that these channel and lobe belts had distinct geomorphological traits. Reservoir architecture and distribution was governed by paleogeomorphology, fluctuations in accommodation space, and sediment supply. The identified fifth-order architectural units are useful for reservoir modeling and contribute to remaining oil development. This study indicates the suitability of seismic sedimentology for characterizing reservoir architecture in areas with sparse well spacing.

Phthalates in Surface Waters of the Selenga River (Main Tributary of Lake Baikal) and Its Delta: Spatial-Temporal Distribution and Environmental Risk Assessment

The Selenga River provides about half of the water and chemical runoff into Lake Baikal and plays an important role in the sustainability of the ecosystem of this large natural freshwater lake. Phthalate esters (PAEs) are organic compounds that can disrupt reproductive and endocrine systems. This study focused on investigating the distribution of six priority phthalates in the Selenga River and its delta utilizing SPE-GC/MS. The study found that the highest levels of Σ6PAE were observed during the high-water years, 2021 and 2023, and were evenly distributed along the river from the sampling sites upstream of Ulan-Ude to the delta channels. In contrast, the mean annual Σ6PAE content was relatively low in the low water period of 2022. Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) are the two dominant phthalates found in the surface waters of the Selenga River and delta channels. In 2021, the average total concentration of six phthalates (Σ6PAE) ranged from 8.84 to 25.19 µg/L, while in 2022 it ranged from 0.45 to 4.01 µg/L, and in 2023 it ranged from 5.40 to 21.08 µg/L. The maximum level for the sum of phthalates was 61.64 µg/L in 2021, 13.57 µg/L in 2022, and 30.19 µg/L in 2023. The wastewater treatment facilities in Ulan-Ude were identified as a stable local source of phthalates. In some cases, PAE concentrations exceeded maximum allowable concentrations, particularly for DEHP. This could have adverse effects on aquatic organisms.

Detection of interictal epileptiform discharge in focal seizures

Introduction: Many factors underlying basic epileptic conditions determine the characteristics of epileptic seizures and the therapeutic outcome. Visual obvious abnormalities in resting baseline EEG are cardinal but incompletely understood like feature of seizure onset zone in focal epilepsy and interictal epileptiform discharge. Present study is an attempt to diagnose that evidence of epileptic discharge in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), would persist during interictal period in absence of abnormalities in baseline EEG, which could increase the impact of automatic analysis of EEG waves for clinical relevance.&#x0D; Material and Methods: By using 10-20 system, functional connectivity was estimated in the 20 channels of delta, theta, alpha, beta and gamma frequency bands of EEG, from 16 diagnosed focal epileptic seizure patients and 16 age and sex matched controls. To observe the dynamics of the healthy brain, differ from the brain of dynamically focal epileptic patients during interictal period treated with anti-epileptic drugs in the context of resting state during eye close session of EEG. Such differences can be observed by using absolute spectral power from BESS ((Brain Electro Scan Software) of the Axxonet System and statistically measure by applied unpaired student t -test.&#x0D; Result: The high significance results in slow frequency EEG waves (delta and theta) in power spectral analysis were observed that demonstrates the potential epileptic discharge occurring during interictal period without visible pathological activity for helping in the diagnosis and lateralization of TLE.&#x0D; Conclusion: The detailed spectral analysis of EEG waves offers novel insight into focal epileptic patients when visually EEG findings were normal. This linear analysis helpful in extracting information from EEG signals in diagnosing specific neuronal correlates for TLE. Present findings concluded that epileptic discharges occur at different topographical regions of brain during interictal period and power spectral analysis plays a new insight in diagnosis of focal discharge.

Marsh-induced backwater: the influence of non-fluvial sedimentation on a delta's channel morphology and kinematics

Abstract. We investigate the interaction of fluvial and non-fluvial sedimentation on the channel morphology and kinematics of an experimental river delta. We compare two deltas: one that evolved with a proxy for non-fluvial (“marsh”) sedimentation (treatment experiment) and one that evolved without the proxy (control). We show that the addition of the non-fluvial sediment proxy alters the delta's channel morphology and kinematics. Notably, the flow outside the channels is significantly reduced in the treatment experiment, and the channels are deeper (as a function of radial distance from the source) and longer. We also find that both the control and treatment channels narrow as they approach the shoreline, though the narrowing is more pronounced in the control compared to the treatment. Interestingly, the channel beds in the treatment experiment often exist below sea level in the terrestrial portion of the delta top, creating a ∼ 0.7 m reach of steady, non-uniform backwater flow. However, in the control experiment, the channel beds generally exist at or above relative sea level, creating channel movement resembling morphodynamic backwater kinematics and topographic flow expansions. Differences between channel and far-field aggradation produce a longer channel in-filling timescale for the treatment compared to the control, suggesting that the channel avulsions triggered by a peak in channel sedimentation occur less frequently in the treatment experiment. Despite this difference, the basin-wide timescale of lateral channel mobility remains similar. Ultimately, non-fluvial sedimentation on the delta top plays a key role in the channel morphology and kinematics of an experimental river delta, producing channels which are more analogous to channels in global river deltas and which cannot be produced solely by increasing cohesion in an experimental river delta.

Hybrid Sidelobe Recognition Method Using Boresight Error and Quadrant Signal Difference for Monopulse Array

In this paper, a sidelobe recognition method using boresight error and quadrant signal difference for a monopulse array is proposed. A conventional sidelobe recognition method compares the difference between the sum and delta channels. This method works well for the azimuth and elevation planes. However, the method is prone to many errors in the diagonal region of the two-dimensional plane. To overcome this problem, a method to calculate the deviation of the boresight error difference with different frequency combinations and a threshold to identify the sidelobe is proposed, and the method is validated to significantly reduce the error region. If a four-quadrant signal can be extracted separately, the signal deviation can be calculated and compared with the threshold, and the error region can be further reduced. The effects of each margin and bandwidth on the recognition performance are analyzed, and a slot array antenna is simulated to assess the method’s effectiveness.

Tide-modulated river discharge division in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna delta channel network, Bangladesh

Study RegionThe Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM) delta in Bangladesh Study FocusThe flow distribution in a deltaic channel network is complicated by tidal wave propagation. We use a 2DH numerical model to investigate the variability of the tide-modulated seasonal, subtidal, intratidal and residual divided discharges. New Hydrological InsightsSimulations show that the divided subtidal discharges and correlated subtidal water levels display remarkable fortnightly fluctuations in dry months, whereas they are heavily distorted by the rapid rising & falling limbs of main stream flood waves in wet months. A subtidal water circulation that net water is transported from the tributaries to the main stream maintains at lower upstream discharges but is reversed by larger upstream discharges. With a series of increasing upstream riverine discharges routing downstream, the subtidal inflows experience a phase shift in the fortnightly cycles, in which the inflow peaks gradually move from spring tide to neap tide; moreover, the residual inflows demonstrate a non-monotonic variability, i.e. enlargements to the river-only case occur at two particular upstream discharges, compared to the reduced residual inflows at the majority of upstream discharges. These characteristic processes are explained by the mean amplitudes and phase relationships of tidal species (D1,D2,D4,D1/14) and the increasing dominance of river discharge over tidal wave. Our findings deepen the understandings of the complex nonlinear river-tide interactions in a deltaic channel network.

Main-Lobe Recognition for Sum-Delta Monopulse of Single-Ring Circular Array Antenna

The target must be located within the main-lobe of the antenna in order to measure the direction of the target by using sum-delta monopulse technique. The most common way if the target is located within the main-lobe is to compare the amplitude of the sum channel received signal with the delta channel received signal. However, in the case of the single-ring circular array antenna, it is difficult to apply the conventional method due to its structural limitation where antenna elements do not exist in the center of the array. In this paper, we proposed a novel method to identify whether a target is located within the main-lobe by appropriately adjusting the feeding amplitude of each element constituting the single-ring circular array antenna through the particle swarm optimization method. Simulation results showed that the proposed method can determine whether the target is located within the main-lobe of the single-ring circular array antenna.

Seasonal and Morphological Controls on Nitrate Retention in Arctic Deltas

AbstractEstimates of nitrate loading to the Arctic Ocean are limited by the lack of field observations within deltas partly due to logistical constraints. To overcome this limitation, we use a remote sensing framework to estimate retention of nitrate in Arctic deltas. We achieve this by coupling hydrological and biogeochemical process models at the network scale for five major Arctic deltas. Binary masks of delta channels were used to simulate flow direction and magnitude through networks. Models were parameterized using historical and seasonal observations. Simulated nitrate retention ranged from 2.9% to 15% of the incoming load. Retention rates were largest during winter but smallest during spring conditions when increased discharges export large nitrate masses to the coast. Under future climate scenarios, retention rates fall by ∼1%–10%. Arctic deltas have an important effect on the magnitude of nitrate entering Arctic seas and the inclusion of processing in deltas can improve flux estimates.

Depositional and diagenetic controls on porosity evolution in sandstone reservoirs of the Stuttgart Formation (North German Basin)

The Mesozoic succession of the North German Basin comprises permeable sandstones operated by ‘conventional’ open doublet systems for geothermal heat production. The high permeability, exceeding 6 Darcy at individual localities, is the result of undercompacted grain fabrics, low abundance of authigenic minerals and large secondary porosity volumes. The discrepancy of undercompacted grain fabrics and porosity volumes of >20% at depth of up to 2500 m gave rise to a basin-scale study, in which classical petrographic methods were employed to reconstruct the diagenesis of sandstones on the example of the Stuttgart Formation (Schilfsandstein, Late Triassic). Associated to the deposition of sandstones in distinct fluvio-deltaic environments, four diagenetic pathways are indicated by systematic variations of detrital and authigenic assemblages. These four pathways are herein introduced as Delta Channel, Delta Plain, Fluvial Channel, and Floodplain Diagenesis Types. In response to the history of the North German Basin, high permeabilities of sandstones of the Delta Channel and Fluvial Channel Diagenesis Types are related to the subsequent control of depositional and diagenetic regimes on porosity evolution. Pervasive eogenetic calcite cementations contributed to preservation of pre-burial intergranular volumes and effectively prevented the mechanical compaction of grain fabrics during late Triassic–late Jurassic burial diagenesis. The uplift from deep to shallow burial depth, associated to latest Jurassic–Cenozoic structural differentiation and inversion of the North German Basin, triggered substantial dissolution processes that mainly affected carbonate cementations. This opened pores and contributed to the evolution of secondary porosity, in particular in sandstones of the Delta Channel and Fluvial Channel Diagenesis Types. Moderate post-inversion reburial rates resulted only in negligible mechanical compaction and reduction of secondary porosity. The improved knowledge of diagenetic pathways, herein exemplified by sandstones of the Stuttgart Formation, will significantly contribute to improved predictions of Mesozoic hydrothermal reservoir in the North German Basin.

Hydrodynamics and habitat interact to structure fish communities within terminal channels of a tidal freshwater delta

AbstractTerminal channels were historically a common feature of tidal delta ecosystems but have become increasingly rare as landscapes have been modified. Tidal hydrodynamics are a defining feature in tidal terminal channel ecosystems from which native aquatic communities have evolved. However, few studies have explored the relationship between fish community structure and hydrodynamics in these tidal terminal channel ecosystems. We sampled fish communities throughout a network of terminal channels within the northeasternmost region of the San Francisco Estuary to determine the relationship between fish community structure and hydrodynamics within these environments. We collected two years (2017 and 2018) of fish community samples using gill nets and analyzed data using multivariate community analyses and count models. We found metrics of fish diversity and counts of native fishes to be greatest upstream (farthest from tidal influence) of the tidal excursion within terminal channels. Counts of non‐native fishes were less affected by this hydrodynamic feature of terminal channels and more tightly correlated to local habitat conditions (e.g., water temperature, depth). Our results suggest that channel hydrodynamics plays a role in structuring fish communities within terminal channels, particularly native fishes. These results indicate that hydrodynamics in tidal delta ecosystems may be able to be altered in ways that benefit native fishes without the cost of water pumping.

Low- versus High-water level effect on subtropical benthic freshwater meiofauna

Little is known about meiofaunal responses to Low- versus High-Water-Level (L- vs HWL) particularly in the subtropics. Meiofaunal reaction was evaluated in three locations (deeply-different) in two man-made freshwater channels in (Rowaina and Shalma) Northern Nile Egyptian delta: 50, 100, &amp; 150, and 900, 950, &amp; 1000 metres distances from the sluice, respectively. LWL and HWL were in January and July 2019 respectively. Eight vs ten and nine vs eleven major taxa were noted in Rowaina H- vs LWL and Shalma L- vs HWL, respectively. Taxa had different susceptibilities to L- vs HWL. Nematode, hydracarina, and oligochaetes dominated in L- and HWL, (Shalma), and in HWL (Rowaina). Whereas Nematoda, Copepod, and Oligochaeta prevailed in LWL (Rowaina). Oligochaeta biomass was generally high in LWL and HWL. Hydracarina in LWL, and Nematode &amp; Copepod in HWL had low biomasses in Rowaina and Shalma respectively. Abundances and biomasses were significantly different within and among channels. Environmental variables were significantly different only between water levels. It could be concluded that L- vs HWL has both direct and indirect (variabilities in environmental factors) impacts on meiofauna. Channel width &amp; morphology, may impose extra influences. This study may enhance invertebrate surveys with hydrologically different freshwater bodies.

Diatoms from the cores containing Holocene deposits from the central part of the Volga Delta (Baraniy Bugor region)

In this article we present the study of fossil diatom assemblages in the two cores from the central part of the Volga Delta. In the core C1 from the right bank of the Bolda River diatoms were found in the dark-grey lithological layer consisting of silt. In this layer we distinguish two stages of sedimentation. The first stage corresponds to more stagnant water regime and is represented by prevailing Epithemia adnata (30,0 %) and Aulacoseira granulata (15,7%). These conditions are replaced by more riverine-like ones during the process of sedimentation. The structure of diatom assemblages of the riverine-like conditions is similar to the assemblages from the environments of shallow overgrowing distributary channels in the recent Volga Delta: A. granulata (72%), Stephanodiscus astraea var. intermedia и Aulacoseira italica (4,3 и 3,4% respectively). In the core BB9, taken from the left bank of the Bolda River, we studied the upper part of the sediments, which probably deposed in a bay (liman), and reconstruct low-flow conditions or environments of small rivers.

Modeling the hydrodynamics of a tidal inlet during bay-side storms

Bay-side storms, defined here as storms with tracks on the landward side of barrier islands, may disturb the hydrodynamics of inner bays to a larger extent than on the ocean side. These storms are common in large-scale O(>100,000 m) estuarine systems and have the potential to modify the circulation in bays and within tidal inlets. Here, we provide an overview of the hydrodynamic response of a tidal inlet under forcings caused by bay-side storms and explore the role of waves in modulating the release of storm surge from the back-barrier regions into the ocean. A two-dimensional horizontal numerical model including wave-current interactions is calibrated and validated against field observations of water levels and depth-averaged velocities at Oregon Inlet, NC. The model is then used to investigate the effect of synthetic bay-side storms with varying wave conditions and water levels based on those generated by Hurricane Irene (2011), which is the strongest bay-side storm to hit the Outer Banks of North Carolina in the last two decades. Effect of timing of the peak storm surge during the ebb and flood phases of the tide is also explored.Results from synthetic storms indicate that, during bay-side storms, the water level gradient along the inlet favors ebbing flows regardless of the timing of the storms relative to tidal phase. These results suggest that waves might be responsible for any influx of volume to the bay during high bay-side surge events. Wave blocking effects were found to be stronger along the ebb shoal and only reached the flood delta when bay water levels were nearly the same as the ocean water levels. Reduction of currents by waves in the inlet have the potential to extend the duration of the inundation period in the back barrier region. Bay-side storms also caused flux enhancement over inlet shoals and channels in the flood delta, which could have implications for circulation patterns as well as the morphodynamics of the system.

Significantly enhanced mid Holocene fluvial activity in a globally important, arid‐zone wetland: The Okavango Delta, Botswana

AbstractInformation on past dryland environments is commonly derived from geomorphological landforms and sediments (‘geoproxies’). The Okavango Delta in the middle Kalahari, Botswana, has been subject to a long history of arid–humid transitions but its potentially rich archive of fluvial geoproxies is largely untapped. Previous palaeoenvironmental studies in the Delta region have focused mainly on aeolian dunes, lacustrine beach ridges, and rare pollen sequences in surrounding locations, and the Delta's channel dynamics have remained poorly constrained, both chronologically and in quantitative palaeohydrological terms. Focusing on the Delta's Xugana region, we present the first optically stimulated luminescence ages for palaeochannel fills and scroll bars, revealing significantly enhanced fluvial activity in the ~7–4 ka interval. Along 120–150 m‐wide, sand‐bed, sinuous palaeochannels, lateral migration and bend cutoffs were driven by palaeodischarges up to ~350–450 m3 s−1, at least nine times those of the present‐day channels. These palaeochannels represent the last major phase of meander activity in the middle and lower Delta. The palaeodischarges imply significantly higher rainfall over the catchment in the mid Holocene, possibly resulting from a southwards shift of the African tropical rainbelt. Over the last few thousand years, diminished fluvial activity in the Xugana region has continued; &lt;20 m‐wide channels with discharges typically &lt;40 m3 s−1 have been more laterally stable, albeit subject to local avulsions. These findings provide the ‘missing link’ between evidence for past intervals of enhanced rainfall in the Delta's tributary catchments in the northwest and west and the filling of large lacustrine basins to the southeast and east. The findings contribute to improved understanding of changing Kalahari hydroclimates and support growing evidence indicating that the mid to late Holocene was a time of significant fluvial transformation across many of the world's drylands.

Climatic Influences on Upper Carboniferous (Serpukhovian to Mid-Bashkirian) Sedimentary Sequences in the UK Pennine and Other European Basins

Upper Carboniferous successions in European sedimentary basins contain cyclothems related to glacial cycles of approximately 100 Ky duration. Within the UK Pennine Basin both simple and complex cyclothems are recognized. In the latter, mid-cycle deltas were flooded by sea-level rises, possibly related to short period orbital forcing events. They were followed by late cycle forced regression delta channels and then by incised coarse-grained channels active after the glacial maximum. Other European successions commonly contain coarse incised channel fills in the same cyclothems; these were deposited during colder glacial periods. Simple cyclothems formed during warmer periods contain only lobate mid-cycle deltas. The distribution of different cyclothem types is not random. Correlation with the eastern Australian succession using revised published radiometric dates from Eastern Europe suggests that the early Namurian C1 glaciation in Australia correlates with a group of Pennine complex cycles of late Pendleian to early Arnsbergian age. The C2 glaciation began just prior to the late Kinderscoutian and possibly lasted into the early Langsettian; the Pennine succession shows evidence for a number of colder periods with complex cycles, especially in the late Kinderscoutian and mid Marsdenian. The intervening period, particularly from Alportian to mid Kinderscoutian was warmer.

Long-lasting impacts of a 20th century glacial lake outburst flood on a Patagonian fjord-river system (Pascua River)

Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) are an increasing threat to Patagonian environments and communities. Here, we investigate the geomorphological and hydrological impacts of a historical GLOF from Chile's third largest river (Pascua River), which discharges at the head of Baker Fjord (48°S). To do so, historical maps and satellite imagery of the past century and recent bathymetric data were examined, and a 1.4 m long sediment core taken ~4 km offshore of the Pascua River mouth was analyzed. Geomorphological data suggest that the two main subaerial river channels of the fjord-head delta extend subaqueously as submarine channels. The sediment core was taken on the flank of the largest submarine channel to evaluate changes in channel activity through time. Results show that the sediments are composed of two distinct units separated by a 6-cm thick sandy turbidite dated 1945−10+8 CE. Historical evidence suggests that the event deposit corresponds to a ~ 256 × 106 m3 GLOF from the proglacial lake of Lucía Glacier (Bergues Lake) that discharged into Pascua River. Before 1945−10+8 CE, sedimentation at the coring site consisted of coarse silt and fine sand, likely representing sediment deposition from turbidity currents. After 1945−10+8 CE, sedimentation consisted of very fine silts and clays, likely representing settling from the surficial sediment plume. This switch in submarine channel activity corresponds in timing to the abandonment of the eastern distributary channel of Pascua River and likely represents a reorganization of the hydrology of the fjord-river system caused by the 1945−10+8 CE GLOF. This study provides the first report of a GLOF from the northeastern part of the Southern Patagonian Icefield, and it demonstrates that GLOFs can have long-lasting impacts on the hydrology of downstream fjord-river systems.

Global rates and patterns of channel migration in river deltas

River deltas are dynamic systems whose channels can widen, narrow, migrate, avulse, and bifurcate to form new channel networks through time. With hundreds of millions of people living on these globally ubiquitous systems, it is critically important to understand and predict how delta channel networks will evolve over time. Although much work has been done to understand drivers of channel migration on the individual channel scale, a global-scale analysis of the current state of delta morphological change has not been attempted. In this study, we present a methodology for the automatic extraction of channel migration vectors from remotely sensed imagery by combining deep learning and principles from particle image velocimetry (PIV). This methodology is implemented on 48 river delta systems to create a global dataset of decadal-scale delta channel migration. By comparing delta channel migration distributions with a variety of known external forcings, we find that global patterns of channel migration can largely be reconciled with the level of fluvial forcing acting on the delta, sediment flux magnitude, and frequency of flood events. An understanding of modern rates and patterns of channel migration in river deltas is critical for successfully predicting future changes to delta systems and for informing decision makers striving for deltaic resilience.

Experiments on the deterministic and non-deterministic responses of lacustrine deltaic channels to water inflow

ABSTRACT The stochastic characteristics of river-delta systems pose large uncertainties for the environmental management of deltas. This study explored the use of two sets of individually repeated physical modelling experiments, to tentatively investigate the deterministic and non-deterministic responses of lacustrine deltaic channels to upstream water inflow. Results indicated that the single-main channel length increased positively with discharge, and was inevitably accompanied by the non-positive changing of both the fluctuation characteristics of the relative position of the bifurcating node for different-order branching channels, and the average period of all the geometrical indicators of higher-order branching channels in the middle delta; the major non-deterministic highlights were the positive and negative correlations of average period and average value for the relative position of the bifurcating node and the branching channel length, respectively, in the upper delta under the low-discharge conditions. These findings refresh our understanding of bifurcation instability and lay the foundation for stochastic modelling of lacustrine-delta morphology.

Monomeric and Dimeric Carboxylic Acid in Crystalline Cavities and Channels of Delta and Epsilon Forms of Syndiotactic Polystyrene.

Delta (δ) and epsilon (ε) co-crystalline forms of syndiotactic polystyrene with a carboxylic acid guest were obtained by sorption of liquid hexanoic acid in syndiotactic polystyrene films exhibiting delta and epsilon nanoporous-crystalline forms. The characterization study is facilitated by axially stretched syndiotactic polystyrene films, used both for polarized FTIR spectra and for WAXD fiber patterns. Particularly informative are two carbonyl-stretching FTIR peaks, attributed to monomeric and dimeric hexanoic acid. The dichroism of these carbonyl peaks indicates that both delta and epsilon phases are able to include hexanoic acid as isolated guest molecules, while only the epsilon phase is also able to include dimeric hexanoic acid molecules in its crystalline channels. The inclusion of both isolated and dimeric hexanoic acid species in the epsilon form crystalline channels produces extremely fast hexanoic acid uptakes by syndiotactic polystyrene epsilon form films.