Geomorphologic studies have shown that dryland rivers are truly distinctive:

• in flow magnitude,
• in flow uniformity and duration,
• in sediment production and character,
• and in channel behaviour.

Yet recognition of ancient dryland river environments is still premised on a tiny number of original field studies of dryland systems. Concepts and models have been built, and spread through the literature, that are based on extremely weak science and a very limited appreciation of dryland systems. The consequence is misidentification of dryland environments, and an almost complete inability to be able to recognise, correlate and model such environments in the subsurface.

This website is intended to stimulate more work on dryland rivers. We need integration of geomorphological with sedimentological studies of modern examples, re-evaluation of ancient examples, and regional studies to understand the evolution and sedimentary record of dryland settings.

For many years, I have struggled to interpret ancient dryland sedimentary successions, both at outcrop, and (more difficult still) in the subsurface. I have, for some time now, realised that we are not going to get much better at understanding ancient successions until we understand modern dryland geomorphic and sedimentary processes better.

Many questions about dryland rivers remain unanswered. On the "Hot topics" page, I have raised a selection of the ones I find particularly troublesome. I invite you to add to the list, but also hopefully contribute to answering some of them.

Some of the questions to be answered about dryland rivers include: What is the nature of dryland river avulsion: frequency, rate of completion, character? What is the sedimentary signature of compound channels? Are floodplain sediments and soils disctinctive? Do terminal fans really exist? How do we recognise arroyos and in-channel fans in the rock record? I am sure you can think of a few more.

June 2002: Feature of the Month section added

March 2002: A significant addition has been made to the site: adding an images galleries link, and putting up the fascinating set of images and explanatory text of Australian rivers most kindly supplied by Geoff Pickup - thanks, Geoff!

Small additions have also been made since last August, such as updating ther list of active researchers, and adding details of the Aberdeen 2002 conference.

August 2001: This is the first functional version of the website. I am keen to get it open as soon as possible in order to stimulate interest and activity. But I am also aware if the content is too limited, it will not keep interest. I will be adding content furiously over the next few weeks. In the meantime, I apologise if the site is too boring for you. [3rd August 2001]

So, please pester me with questions, ideas and comments, and point me to more information. See below for contact details.

I have tried to keep the site technically simple so it is compatible with as many browsers as possible. But I have also strived to provide as much information, and useful pictures, as I can, which aim sometimes conflicts with simplicity. Inevitably I will have inadvertently introduced difficulties for some browsers. My apologies if you are affected: please let me know of the problem and I will endeavour to fix it.

This site needs Javascript turned on in your browser. The site was designed for viewing on a screen of 800x600 pixels, with colours set to "High colour (16 bit)" or better - there are many photographs and figures. It does, however, work better in 1024x768 pixels resolution. Use full-screen display for ease of reading and navigation.

I tested the site extensively with Netscape Navigator version 4.75 and Microsoft Internet Explorer version 5.5. Some things look slightly different between the two browsers - I tried to find ways to guarantee similar appearance in each, but in some cases I gave up fighting with the idiosynchracies of the software. Personally, I found Netscape more prone to incorrect rendering of standard HTML, and other peculiarities. Viewing with Internet Explorer generally gives the version closest to my original intentions.

I have tested much of the site with Opera 6, which is much more fussy about precise coding - e.g. it spots Javascript errors when other browsers carry on regardless. In addition, I tested parts with Netscape 6, which has fixes for some version 4 bugs, but introduces a few others instead.

The initiator and prime author of this website is Colin P. North. I am a Senior Lecturer in Petroleum Geology at the University of Aberdeen, in Scotland, UK.

You can find out a bit more about me and my research interests by going to my personal website. To find out more about the University of Aberdeen, click on the University crest at the top left corner of this page. This route will also take you to the pages for the Department of Geology (alternatively click here).

I am grateful to many colleagues and research students, here and elsewhere, who have provided information, constructive criticism, and encouragement, in this venture. But I take sole responsibility for the site content.

Dr. Colin P. North
Department of Geology & Petroleum Geology
University of Aberdeen
Meston Building, King's College
Aberdeen AB24 3UE
Scotland, UK

When sending me email about this website, please use the address: