Interdisciplinary analysis of bank erosion and formation of river meanders: insights into the dynamics of non-inertial reference frames and implications for river management

Abstract

Erosion corresponds to the process of fragmentation, transportation, and deposition of soil and/or rock fragments. It is the main exogenous factor responsible for the alteration of the earth’s surface, resulting in various geomorphological formations, many of which have significant economic interest due to their beauty. In this paper, we aim to discuss, from an interdisciplinary perspective, the general and specific elements that contribute to the erosion of river banks and the formation of meanders. We present qualitative and quantitative arguments that suggest that the Coriolis force, a non-inertial force, may play a fundamental role in understanding these phenomena. In addition, a detailed discussion of physics in the reference frame of the Earth (non-inertial) is carried out.

Keywords:
Erosion; riverbank; Baer’s law; meanders formation; interdisciplinarity