Suspended load

Suspended load is sediment carried within a fluid column for substantial periods by turbulent mixing, rather than resting on or rolling along the bed.

Turbulence: Irregular fluid motion marked by fluctuating velocities and eddies across a range of scales. Eddies lift and redistribute sediment, counteracting its tendency to settle.
Sediment transport: The movement of sediment by water, wind, ice, or gravity. Suspended load is one mode within the broader movement of sediment.
Suspended-sediment concentration: The mass of suspended sediment in a unit volume or mass of fluid. It quantifies how much sediment a flow carries in suspension.
Mississippi River: A major North American river that drains into the Gulf of Mexico. Its suspended sediment has built and sustained the Mississippi Delta.
Sediment transport equation: A mathematical relation used to estimate sediment transport from flow and sediment properties. Equations estimate suspended flux but often depend on uncertain empirical assumptions.
Settling velocity: The steady downward speed of a particle settling through a fluid under specified conditions. It measures how quickly suspended grains fall out of the water column.
Bed load: Sediment transported close to a bed by rolling, sliding, or repeated short hops. It moves along the bed instead of remaining aloft through turbulent mixing.
Turbidity: The cloudiness of a fluid caused by particles that scatter or absorb light. Suspended particles create turbidity, though turbidity is not a direct mass measurement.
Yellow River: A Chinese river carrying exceptionally high sediment loads from the Loess Plateau. Its fine suspended sediment drives rapid channel aggradation and delta growth.
Hindered settling: Reduced particle settling speed caused by interactions in a concentrated suspension. At high concentrations, particles settle differently from isolated grains.

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