Physical geographyLesson 1 of 1 in the course Rivers and fluvial processes

Fluvial Sediment Transport, Deposition, and Runoff Erosion

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

Rivers continually erode, move, and deposit sediment. These processes shape river beds and valleys, build floodplains, and influence how river systems develop. This lesson introduces the forces that move sediment and the main ways material is transported.

Flowing water exerts shear stress on the river bed. When this force is strong enough to overcome the substrate’s cohesive strength or to move loose grains, erosion can lower the bed—even when the water itself carries little sediment. This is often called clearwater erosion.

All flashcards

Entrainment velocity
The flow velocity at which grains of a particular size begin to move.
Bedload
Coarse sediment that moves close to the river bed by rolling, sliding, or hopping.
Suspended load and dissolved load
Suspended load is fine solid material carried in water; dissolved load is material carried in solution.
Abrasion and attrition
Abrasion wears the bed with transported particles; attrition wears down and rounds the particles themselves.
Alluvium
Sediment deposited by rivers and streams.

Quiz questions

  1. What does the Rouse number compare in river sediment transport?Answer: Particle settling velocity with upward motion that helps keep particles in the flow.
  2. Where does a river delta commonly develop?Answer: Where a river enters a standing body of water.
  3. Where do point bars commonly form?Answer: Along bends in river channels.
  4. What characterizes sheet erosion by overland flow?Answer: Flow removes sediment without forming gullies.
  5. What do the terms glaciofluvial and fluvioglacial describe?Answer: River processes or settings associated with glacial ice.

Based on the Wikipedia article Fluvial sediment processes, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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