Moderate flows help carve rivers

Measurements of erosion in a rocky river channel in Taiwan suggest that the day-to-day flow of water accounts for more rock wear there than occasional catastrophic floods do. The findings, which are contrary to current views, could revise scientists’ ideas of how rivers shape Earth’s surface.

In its 58-kilometer rush to the Pacific, the LiWu River picks up about 11 million tons of sediment each year.