Which process describes rock material being carried by water in a series of jumps along a river bed or beach?

Which process describes rock material being carried by water in a series of jumps along a river bed or beach?

• A. Recharge
• B. Sediment
• C. Saltation
• D. Source

Answer: (C)

In sediment transport, particles move in different ways depending on the flow. When rock material is carried by water in a series of jumps along a river bed or beach, it’s describing saltation. In saltation, particles are lifted a short distance by the flow, travel a brief hop, and then settle before being picked up again, creating a hopping movement along the bed. This sits between rolling along the bottom (traction) and being carried high in suspension, and is typical for larger grains that are too heavy to stay airborne long but are too dependent on flow to just slide. Recharge, sediment, and source refer to other concepts: recharge is water infiltrating into groundwater, sediment is the material itself, and source is where the material originates. Saltation best fits the described transport process.

In sediment transport, particles move in different ways depending on the flow. When rock material is carried by water in a series of jumps along a river bed or beach, it’s describing saltation. In saltation, particles are lifted a short distance by the flow, travel a brief hop, and then settle before being picked up again, creating a hopping movement along the bed. This sits between rolling along the bottom (traction) and being carried high in suspension, and is typical for larger grains that are too heavy to stay airborne long but are too dependent on flow to just slide. Recharge, sediment, and source refer to other concepts: recharge is water infiltrating into groundwater, sediment is the material itself, and source is where the material originates. Saltation best fits the described transport process.