GEOL 100 Chapter Notes - Chapter 16.2: Suspended Load, Bed Load, Dissolved Load
22 Apr 2019
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Document Summary
Streams erode bedrock and loose material, transporting them as sediment and as chemical components dissolved in water. Sediment is deposited when the stream can no longer carry the load. When the sediment supply exceeds the stream"s capacity to carry the sediment. Moving water applies force to a channel"s bottom and sides and can pick up and transport particles of various sizes: clay, silt, sand, cobbles, and boulders. Sediment load: the amount of sediment carried by the stream, including chemically dissolved material. Suspended load: fine particles that are carried suspended in the moving water. Saltation: sand grains that roll along the bottom or are picked up and carried down-current by bouncing along the streambed. Traction: large cobbles and boulders move by rolling and sliding. Only move during times of high flow. Competence: the size of the largest particles that can be transported. Bed load: material that is pushed, bounced, rolled, and slid along the stream bed.
