Final answer:
Streams erode land through abrasion, hydraulic action, and solution, transport sediments according to size and water's velocity, and deposit them when the water flow diminishes.
Step-by-step explanation:
Streams erode land and transport sediment through various processes. Among the primary methods of erosion are abrasion, which is the grinding action of sediment and rocks within the stream, and hydraulic action, where the force of the water itself breaks away material from the stream bed and banks. Another important erosion process is solutitheon, which involves the dissolution of soluble minerals in the water.
When it comes to sediment transport, streams move material in three main ways: in solution (dissolved load), in suspension (suspended load), and by sliding and rolling along the bottom (bed load). Sediments ranging from boulders and gravel to sand and silt are carried downstream depending on the water's velocity and volume.
Sediments are eventually deposited when the water slows down, which occurs in areas like wide flood plains, at the mouths of rivers (forming deltas), and in other calm environments like lakes and the ocean floor. The size of the particles - from cobbles and pebbles to sand, silt, and clay - influences where and how they are deposited, due to their ability to be transported by moving water.