Goose-head-shaped anabranching (GHA) river takes on extremely winding planform and periodical alternation of river regime.But the planform and fluvial features vary with individuals.To investigate the formation and evolution of GHA river,providing theoretical support to river regulation,the individual differences among GHA sub-reaches in the middle and lower Yangtze River and its causes were studied.Fluvial features of GHA sub-reaches as degree of bending,length of the evolutional cycles and extent of riverbed deformation were summarized.Major causes of the differences were revealed that alignment of the inlet nodes and intensity of water flow deflection bring about individual difference of the GHA channels.The larger the traverse angle of inlet-outlet nodes is,the wider the goose-head-shaped branch develops.The more intensely water flow deflects,the shorter the evolutional cycle is.
