Systems of branching river channels dissect most of the sub-aerial landscape, each in a valley proportioned to its size.
The hydraulic force of flowing water can push and pull detached joint blocks out of their initial position and roll or drag them downstream.
[3] This lining of alluvium creates a protective shield over the bedrock, which means it takes a much greater stream power to carve the channel.
[4] These braided channels usually occur in tectonically active environments and have a larger sediment load due to varying water flow and discharge.
Although similar to, and even encompass other channel types, anastomosed rivers are their own entity and have just begun to be studied by geologists, revealing that much is still unknown.