There are actually three processes that move sediment, all involving a fluid: flowing water, blowing wind (air is a fluid), and ice movement by glaciers (also a fluid). The viscosity of the fluid determines what size of particle will be moved. Because of its low viscosity, wind will only move clay to sand size particles. Glacial ice, on the other hand, has a very high viscosity and can move house-size rocks. The particle sizes moved by water falls in between the extremes of wind and glaciers.
Picking up sediment and moving it to another area is known as sediment transport.
The transportation of sediment is called sediment transport. This process involves the movement of solid particles, such as sand, silt, and clay, from one location to another by various agents like water, wind, or ice. Sediment transport plays a crucial role in shaping landscapes, forming riverbanks, and creating deltas and beaches. It occurs through mechanisms such as erosion, suspension, and deposition.
The sediment transport by the rock cycle
When sediment is transported down a mountain and along a stream, it involves a physical process known as erosion and sediment transport. This movement of sediment is primarily driven by gravity, water flow, and other environmental factors. As sediment travels, it can lead to changes in the landscape, such as the formation of riverbanks and valleys, and it plays a crucial role in shaping ecosystems along the way.
Loss of edges in sediment grains refers to the rounding or smoothing of the grains' surfaces and corners due to physical processes such as abrasion, transport, and weathering. This process often occurs during sediment transport by wind, water, or ice, where grains collide with each other or with other materials. As a result, the sediment becomes more uniform in shape and size, which can influence the sediment's porosity, permeability, and overall geological characteristics. Rounded grains are typically indicative of longer transport distances compared to angular grains.
Picking up sediment and moving it to another area is known as sediment transport.
The process that involves wind moving loose sediment is known as wind erosion. Wind erosion occurs when strong winds pick up and transport loose particles of soil or sand, which can lead to the formation of features such as sand dunes.
The transportation of sediment is called sediment transport. This process involves the movement of solid particles, such as sand, silt, and clay, from one location to another by various agents like water, wind, or ice. Sediment transport plays a crucial role in shaping landscapes, forming riverbanks, and creating deltas and beaches. It occurs through mechanisms such as erosion, suspension, and deposition.
Deposition is the process of sediment settling out of a transporting medium (such as water or wind) and coming to rest on the ground. It is described as the opposite of erosion because erosion involves the movement and transport of sediment away from a location, while deposition involves the accumulation and settling of sediment at a location.
Picking up sediment and moving it to another area is known as sediment transport.
The process of moving sediment to other places is called sediment transport. It can occur through erosion, where sediments are lifted and carried by wind, water, or ice to be deposited in new locations. Sediment transport plays a key role in shaping landscapes and ecosystems.
Diagenesis is the process that involves burial compaction and cementation of sediment.
The process is called lithification, which involves the compaction and cementation of sediment to form sedimentary rock.
The movement of sediment by wind is called aeolian transport, by water is called fluvial transport, and by gravity is called mass wasting or sediment gravity flow. Each process plays a significant role in shaping landforms and transporting sediment across different environments.
The first step of the lithification process is compaction, which involves the pressing together of sediment grains to reduce pore space and increase the density of the sediment.
The sediment transport by the rock cycle
When sediment is transported down a mountain and along a stream, it involves a physical process known as erosion and sediment transport. This movement of sediment is primarily driven by gravity, water flow, and other environmental factors. As sediment travels, it can lead to changes in the landscape, such as the formation of riverbanks and valleys, and it plays a crucial role in shaping ecosystems along the way.