Question

The portion of a steam's sediment load that consists of tiny solid grains carried along with the water but not bouncing off the stream bed is a stream's __________.

a) suspended load
b) dissolved load
c) bed load
d) none of the above

Answer 1

The stream's sediment load that includes tiny solid grains carried by the water and not touching the stream bed is the suspended load. The correct option is a.

Step-by-step explanation:

The portion of a stream's sediment load that consists of tiny solid grains carried along by the water without touching the stream bed is known as the stream's suspended load.

This suspended load is comprised of particles like silt and clay that are light enough to be carried in the water column.

Unlike the suspended load, the dissolved load contains materials that are in solution, and the bed load includes larger particles that roll, slide, or bounce along the bottom of the stream. The correct option is a.