Which term describes material carried along in the river channel, usually fine particles?

Which term describes material carried along in the river channel, usually fine particles?

• A. Suspension
• B. Traction
• C. Transportation
• D. Weathering

Answer: (A)

Suspension describes the fine particles, like silt and clay, that are carried within the flowing water and kept aloft by turbulence. These particles travel with the river current in the water column rather than rolling or sliding along the bed. That contrasts with traction, which is the bedload moving by rolling or sliding on the river bed, and with weathering, which is the breakdown of rocks rather than their movement. Transportation is a broad term for moving sediment by any method, but the phrase “carried along in the river channel, usually fine particles” specifically points to material held in suspension within the water.

Suspension describes the fine particles, like silt and clay, that are carried within the flowing water and kept aloft by turbulence. These particles travel with the river current in the water column rather than rolling or sliding along the bed. That contrasts with traction, which is the bedload moving by rolling or sliding on the river bed, and with weathering, which is the breakdown of rocks rather than their movement. Transportation is a broad term for moving sediment by any method, but the phrase “carried along in the river channel, usually fine particles” specifically points to material held in suspension within the water.