Sediment transport

Sediment Rating Curve slope that compares sediment discharge and quanity of
sediment carried
Discharge increases = more erosion material added to flow from erosion
Low discharge = little sediment movement
Fluid Drag friction on surface
Bed Load pebbles and sand not permanently suspended
Dissolved Load  Dissolved in water
Suspended load silts and clays in suspension
Note: Human activity adds dissolved and solid material to streams ie. Fertilizers, animal
waste, soluble compounds (agriculture by products). Deforestation causes increased
amounts of water due to lack of vegetation

Channels narrow with high velocity flow at top end of many streams
Bars Coarse sediments that deposit in
streams to form land in the middle.
Point Bar stream flow is reduced b/c of
friction and shallow depth
Thalweg Deepest area of stream with most
velocity in most cases
*bars form away from thalweg.
Riffle coarse deposit which develop under
thalweg when it moves upwards
Dunes mainly made of sand and silt
Ripples few cm in height and spacing – slow moving streams with fine beds
Lee Side
Stoss Side
Delta sediment that contains horizontal and vertical layers. Caused by sudden
reduction of velocity
Foreset beds deposits in main body of delta. Steep angles finer sediments.
Topset on top of foreset bed – nearly horizontal
Bottomsetin front and beneath foreset beds
Alluvial Fan fan shaped deposit that braided stream flows over.

Trellised: strong structural control on

streams. Channels align parallel to
bedrock structures
Parallel: steep relief / non cohelsive
materials
Dendritic: Adjusted systems on
erodible sediments and dipping
bedrock
Deranged: recently disturbed by events
eg. Glacial activity/ volcanic
deposition.