What controls the channel pattern exhibited by streams cutting into bedrock?

The channel pattern exhibited by streams cutting into bedrock is primarily controlled by the underlying geologic structure. The characteristics of the bedrock, such as its type, hardness, and fracture patterns, significantly influence how a stream carves its path. For instance, streams may meander or create straight paths depending on the joints and weaknesses in the rock layers. If the bedrock consists of softer materials, it allows for easier erosion, resulting in different channel shapes compared to harder, more resistant rock types, which can create more confined and straight channels.

While weathering processes do play a role in the overall erosion and shaping of the landscape, they are part of a broad series of processes influenced by the geologic structure. Vegetation cover can help stabilize stream banks and reduce erosion to some extent, but it doesn’t fundamentally dictate the channel pattern in the way that bedrock structure does. Human intervention can alter stream patterns through activities like dam construction or channelization, but these are secondary influences rather than the primary natural factors that determine how a stream interacts with bedrock.