Accuracy and Limitations of Tools for Analyzing Meander Migration: Consequences of Bend Dynamics and Analysis Interval
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Channel migration in meandering rivers is commonly quantified by analyzing change over time in positions of river‐channel centerlines extracted from aerial photographs or satellite images. Although several tools have been developed to estimate migration based on centerline changes, the accuracy of these tools has not been rigorously evaluated. This study assesses the performance of two tools for characterizing meander migration—the Meander Trajectory Mapping Tool (MTMT) and Dynamic Time Warping (DTW). Known trajectories of centerline migration were derived from a numerical model of river meandering and compared with the trajectories produced by the tools. Results show that tool‐generated trajectories consistently exhibit some deviation from model‐derived trajectories, but errors remain small when migration rates are low over the analysis interval. Both the model analysis and application of the tools to three reaches from real rivers show that the accuracy of tool‐generated trajectories declines markedly with increasing rates of bend translation. This error increases dramatically once translation exceeds about 25% of the half‐meander wavelength per interval. Thus, accurate assessment of migration for rapidly translating bends requires imagery with high temporal frequency to avoid substantial underestimation of the trajectories and distances of migration by the tools. We find that this underestimation is caused by failure of the tools to accurately account for hinge trajectories, a newly recognized phenomenon associated with bend translation. Such underestimation has important implications for accurate estimates of amounts of sediment displaced by migrating rivers.
Source: Water Resources Research
DOI: 10.1029/2025wr040405
Institutions: Texas A&M University, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Language: English
Subfield: Ecology
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,000
OpenAlex ID: W7160937719