Which term describes the movement of sediment by bouncing along the river bed?

Study for the WJEC Geography Test with our interactive quiz. Prepare using flashcards and multiple-choice questions, each with hints and explanations. Get ready for your exam!

Multiple Choice

Which term describes the movement of sediment by bouncing along the river bed?

Explanation:
Saltation is the movement of sediment by bouncing along the river bed. When water flow has enough energy to lift particles briefly from the bed, they are carried in short hops and then land again, potentially triggering further entrainment with each impact. This hopping motion sits between rolling/sliding along the bed (traction) and being carried completely in suspension within the water column. The other terms don’t describe this bed-particle bouncing process: a hydrograph is a graph of river discharge over time, while the remaining options refer to unrelated topics.

Saltation is the movement of sediment by bouncing along the river bed. When water flow has enough energy to lift particles briefly from the bed, they are carried in short hops and then land again, potentially triggering further entrainment with each impact. This hopping motion sits between rolling/sliding along the bed (traction) and being carried completely in suspension within the water column. The other terms don’t describe this bed-particle bouncing process: a hydrograph is a graph of river discharge over time, while the remaining options refer to unrelated topics.

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