Which process involves rock material being carried in water without contact with the bed?

Which process involves rock material being carried in water without contact with the bed?

• A. Traction
• B. Throughflow
• C. Suspension
• D. Transport

Answer: (C)

When rock material is carried in water without touching the bed, it’s being moved in suspension. Turbulent flow keeps fine particles like silt and clay suspended in the water column, so they travel with the stream without contacting the riverbed. Other processes involve contact with the bed: traction is rolling or sliding along the bed, and throughflow is water moving through the soil rather than within the river itself. Transport is a broad term that can describe any movement, but suspension specifically describes particles held up in the water and carried in the flow.

When rock material is carried in water without touching the bed, it’s being moved in suspension. Turbulent flow keeps fine particles like silt and clay suspended in the water column, so they travel with the stream without contacting the riverbed. Other processes involve contact with the bed: traction is rolling or sliding along the bed, and throughflow is water moving through the soil rather than within the river itself. Transport is a broad term that can describe any movement, but suspension specifically describes particles held up in the water and carried in the flow.