Baer–Babinet law

(Redirected from Baer's law) Theory on the formation of rivers due to Earth's rotation This article is about a theory in geography. For a theory in biology, also sometimes called "Baer's law", see von Baer's law (biology).

In geography, the Baer–Babinet law, sometimes called Baer's law, identifies a way in which the process of formation of rivers is influenced by the rotation of the Earth. According to the hypothesis, because of the rotation of the Earth, erosion occurs mostly on the right banks of rivers in the Northern Hemisphere, and in the Southern Hemisphere on the left banks.

The concept was originally introduced by a French physicist Jacques Babinet in 1859 using mathematical deduction and Coriolis force. A more definitive explanation was given by Baltic German scientist Karl Ernst von Baer in 1860.

Although it is possible that an aggregate measurement of all rivers would lead to a correlation with the Baer–Babinet law, the Coriolis force is orders of magnitude weaker than the local forces on the river channel from its flow. Therefore, this is unlikely to be important in any given river. Albert Einstein wrote a paper in 1926 explaining the true causes of the phenomenon (see tea leaf paradox).

References

^ Fairbridge, Rhodes W. (1968). "Baer-babinet law". Geomorphology. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer. p. 49. doi:10.1007/3-540-31060-6_22. ISBN 978-3-540-31060-0.
Goudie, Andrew (2004). "Baer's Law of Stream Deflection". Earth Sciences History. 23 (2): 278–282. doi:10.17704/eshi.23.2.q2345815206m5812.
Martínez-Frías, J; Hochberg, D; Rull, F (Feb 2006). "A review of the contributions of Albert Einstein to earth sciences—in commemoration of the World Year of Physics". Die Naturwissenschaften. 93 (2): 66–71. arXiv:physics/0512114. Bibcode:2006NW.....93...66M. doi:10.1007/s00114-005-0076-8. PMID 16453104. S2CID 23733012.
Alpher, R. A. (1960). "Tea Leaves, Baer's Law, and Albert Einstein". American Journal of Physics. 28 (8): 748. Bibcode:1960AmJPh..28..748A. doi:10.1119/1.1935976.
Bowker, Kent A. (1988). "Albert Einstein and Meandering Rivers". Earth Science History. 1 (1). Retrieved 2016-07-01.

Baer, K. E. v., "Über ein allgemeines Gesetz in der Gestaltung der Flußbetten", Kaspische Studien, 1860, VIII, pp. 1–6.
Einstein, A., "Die Ursache der Mäanderbildung der Flußläufe und des sogenannten Baerschen Gesetzes", Die Naturwissenschaften, 1926, 11, pp. 223–224.
Einstein, A., "The Causes of the Formation of Meanders in the Courses of Rivers and of the so-called Baer's Law", translation in Ideas and Opinions, Bonanza Books, 1954.

v t e Rivers, streams and springs
Rivers (lists)	Alluvial river Braided river Blackwater river Channel Channel pattern Channel types Confluence Distributary Drainage basin Subterranean river River bifurcation River ecosystem River source Tributary
Streams	Arroyo Bourne Burn Chalk stream Coulee Current Stream bed Stream channel Streamflow Stream gradient Stream pool Perennial stream Winterbourne
Springs (list)	Estavelle/Inversac Geyser Holy well Hot spring list list in the US Karst spring list Mineral spring Ponor Rhythmic spring Spring horizon
Sedimentary processes and erosion	Abrasion Anabranch Aggradation Armor Bed load Bed material load Granular flow Debris flow Deposition Dissolved load Downcutting Erosion Headward erosion Knickpoint Palaeochannel Progradation Retrogradation Saltation Secondary flow Sediment transport Suspended load Wash load Water gap
Fluvial landforms	Ait Alluvial fan Antecedent drainage stream Avulsion Bank Bar Bayou Billabong Canyon Chine Cut bank Estuary Floating island Fluvial terrace Gill Gulch Gully Glen Meander scar Mouth bar Oxbow lake Riffle-pool sequence Point bar Ravine Rill River island Rock-cut basin Sedimentary basin Sedimentary structures Strath Thalweg River valley Wadi
Fluvial flow	Helicoidal flow International scale of river difficulty Log jam Meander Plunge pool Rapids Riffle Shoal Stream capture Waterfall Whitewater
Surface runoff	Agricultural wastewater First flush Urban runoff
Floods and stormwater	100-year flood Crevasse splay Flash flood Flood Urban flooding Non-water flood Flood barrier Flood control Flood forecasting Flood-meadow Floodplain Flood pulse concept Flooded grasslands and savannas Inundation Storm Water Management Model Return period
Point source pollution	Effluent Industrial wastewater Sewage
River measurement and modelling	Baer's law Baseflow Bradshaw model Discharge (hydrology) Drainage density Exner equation Groundwater model Hack's law Hjulström curve Hydrograph Hydrological model Hydrological transport model Infiltration (hydrology) Main stem Playfair's law Relief ratio River Continuum Concept Rouse number Runoff curve number Runoff model (reservoir) Stream gauge Universal Soil Loss Equation WAFLEX Wetted perimeter Volumetric flow rate
River engineering	Aqueduct Balancing lake Canal Check dam Dam Drop structure Daylighting Detention basin Erosion control Fish ladder Floodplain restoration Flume Infiltration basin Leat Levee River morphology Retention basin Revetment Riparian-zone restoration Stream restoration Weir
River sports	Canyoning Fly fishing Rafting River surfing Riverboarding Stone skipping Triathlon Whitewater canoeing Whitewater kayaking Whitewater slalom
Related	Aquifer Aquatic toxicology Body of water Hydraulic civilization Limnology Riparian zone River valley civilization River cruise Sacred waters Surface water Wild river
Rivers by length Rivers by discharge rate Drainage basins Whitewater rivers Flash floods River name etymologies Countries without rivers

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