What term describes material carried by a river, larger near source and finer near mouth?

What term describes material carried by a river, larger near source and finer near mouth?

• A. Flood Plain
• B. Load
• C. Erosion
• D. Meander

Answer: (B)

Material carried by a river is called its load. This term covers the different forms of sediment the river moves: bed load (the coarser material that rolls or hops along the bed), suspended load (the finer particles carried within the water column), and dissolved load (minerals dissolved in the water). As a river flows from source to mouth, energy and flow conditions change. It can transport larger, coarser material near the source where energy is high, but as energy drops downstream, those larger particles settle out, and the load becomes dominated by finer material carried in suspension. That’s why the load is described as being larger near source and finer near mouth. The other options aren’t about material transported: flood plain is land that can be flooded, erosion is the process of wearing away, and a meander is a bend in a river.

Material carried by a river is called its load. This term covers the different forms of sediment the river moves: bed load (the coarser material that rolls or hops along the bed), suspended load (the finer particles carried within the water column), and dissolved load (minerals dissolved in the water). As a river flows from source to mouth, energy and flow conditions change. It can transport larger, coarser material near the source where energy is high, but as energy drops downstream, those larger particles settle out, and the load becomes dominated by finer material carried in suspension. That’s why the load is described as being larger near source and finer near mouth. The other options aren’t about material transported: flood plain is land that can be flooded, erosion is the process of wearing away, and a meander is a bend in a river.