Activity 3 - Sediments in Streams

Use the resources listed below to help you complete this activity.

To learn more about this topic, visit the following web sites:

Size Range of Sediments

How fast do sediment grains of different sizes settle?
Vanderbilt University
Check out this sample lesson plan for a lab about sediment grains settling rate.

Transportation of Sediment by Streams

Field Exercise: Stream Flow Dynamics and Sedimentation -
Hobart & William Smith Colleges
Another lab to try but this one is outside.

How Streams Reduce the Sizes of Sediment Particles

Streams and Drainage Systems - Tulane University
Read an overview of many of the topics covered in this chapter, including particle size changes downstream (see the "Changes Downstream" section).

Downstream Fining

Journal of Sedimentary Research Articles - Abstracts
Here are two abstracts for papers published in Journal of Sedimentary Research. The links take you to pages that include the necessary information to look up the article.

The nature and controls on downstream fining,
by Rice, S.

Identifying the controls over downstream fining of river gravels, by Hoey, T. and Bluck, B.

Inquiring Further:

To learn more about sediment clean up after a flood, visit the following web sites:

Flood and Flash Flood - American Red Cross.

After the Flood - University of Missouri

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Last updated: May 11, 2010

This project is supported, in part, by the National Science Foundation and the AGI Foundation. Opinions expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Foundation.