Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
River migration in alluvial plains reflects complex interactions among topography, hydrological processes, and sediment transport. However, the relative roles of these factors in controlling the long-term migration of interacting river systems under complex geomorphic settings remain insufficiently understood. This study investigates the long-term migration characteristics of rivers along the front of the Longmen Mountains using a geometrically scaled movable-bed physical model based on Froude similarity with a geometric scale ratio of 1:1200. The evolution of the Minjiang, Jian, and Shiting rivers was reproduced under different hydraulic and sediment-supply conditions, and three-dimensional (3D) laser scanning was applied to quantify bankline migration and erosion–deposition patterns. The results demonstrate that different river systems exhibited distinct migration responses, with affected bankline areas ranging from 0.93 to 3.11 m2 at 72 h under different flow conditions. River migration was governed by the combined effects of topography, channel curvature, and sediment supply. Specifically, the Jian River showed pronounced migration variability associated with abundant sediment supply, abrupt slope reduction, and asymmetric bank topography. By integrating physical-model observations with historical and archaeological evidence, this study provides insights into interactions among river migration, landscape evolution and the environmental conditions associated with the Sanxingdui site.
Tang et al. (2026) studied this question.