distributary
River's diverging arm
A distributary is a branch of a river that flows away from the main channel, carrying water toward the sea or a lake rather than back to the main stream.
The opposite of a tributary.
Distributaries typically form in deltas, where rivers split into multiple channels as they approach the coast: The Mississippi delta fans out into numerous distributaries.
Divide into two branches
- forkTined eating tool
- branchDivision or woody limb
- anabranchRiver branch that rejoins
- divergeSeparate into directions
separate · split · subdivide · ramify · divaricate · radiate · fan · spread
Water-deposited loose sediment
- sedimentParticles settling in liquid
- siltationAccumulation of fine waterborne particles
- depositionFormal testimony under oath
- accretionGrowth through external addition
floodplain · wetlands · marsh · estuary · mouth · brackish · tidal · riparian
Passage for transmission
- flowUnbroken forward movement
- streamSteady continuous flow
- currentDirected flow of charge
- drainageLiquid removal system
watershed · runoff · discharge · gradient · velocity · fluvial · hydraulics · streamflow
bifurcate
Divide into two branches
diverge · separate · split · subdivide · ramify · divaricate · radiate · fan · spread · channel
alluvium
Water-deposited loose sediment
- sedimentParticles settling in liquid
- siltationAccumulation of fine waterborne particles
- depositionFormal testimony under oath
accretion · floodplain · wetlands · marsh · estuary · mouth · brackish · tidal · riparian · fluvial
channel
Passage for transmission
drainage · watershed · runoff · discharge · gradient · velocity · fluvial · hydraulics · streamflow · water table
wetland
Waterlogged land ecosystem
- habitatOrganism's natural environment
- marshGrassy waterlogged lowland
- mangroveTidal shrub with exposed roots
biodiversity · spawning · nursery · estuary · brackish · fishery · waterfowl · riparian · floodplain · sedimentation
Ganges
India's holiest river
- BrahmaputraTrans-Himalayan river system
- MekongMajor Southeast Asian river
- MississippiSouthern state or major river
Nile · Niger · Amazon · Irrawaddy · Rhine · Danube · Indus · Yangtze · Orinoco · Volga