Types of stream erosion
There are two main sources of stream erosion: hydraulic action and abrasion. All of the materials added to normal stream flow through these processes increase the overall stream load (Strahler and Strahler, 2006).Hydraulic action
Hydraulic action describes the erosion caused by the dragging of water over the stream bed and bank. This dragging, coupled with the impact of small parties, easily loosens and erodes smallerAbrasion
Abrasion occurs when larger rock particles roll and strike against bedrock walls, chipping and splintering particles and pieces of rock (Strahler and Strahler). As these cobbles and boulders roll across the stream bed, they continue to crush and grind the bedrock, producing an assortment of eroded rock sizes (Ritter, 2006). Again, the severity of this type of erosion is dependent upon stream velocity and stream load (i.e. the presence of larger rock particles)..Types of stream load
Mineral materials of many different shapes and particle sizes erode and contribute to overall stream load. Differences in the size of those materials determine how they will be transported down stream. Stream load is broken into three types:Dissolved load
Dissolved matter is invisible, and is transported in the form of chemicalSuspended load
Bed load
Flood and stream load
See also
* Rouse number *References
*Knighton, David. (1998). ''Fluvial Forms & Processes: A New Perspective'', London: Arnold. *Mangelsdorf, J. et al. (1990). ''River Morphology: A Guide for Geoscientists and Engineers'', Berlin: Springer-Verlag. *Ritter, M.E. (2006). ''The Physical Environment: an Introduction to Physical Geography: The Geologic Work of Streams''. Visited: March 2, 2008. '' https://web.archive.org/web/20080516233555/http://www.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/ritter/geog101/textbook/climate_systems/icecap.html'' *Strahler, A. and A. Strahler. (2006). ''Introducing Physical Geography'', Boston: Wiley & Sons. Erosion