Stream Erosion

What is stream erosion exactly?  You probably have heard what erosion is before.  According to the site https://sites.google.com/site/earthscienceinmaine/erosion-and-deposition-by-flowing-water , erosion is simply described as transporting sediments.  This can be caused by many different things, some of which include the flowing of water and gravity.  So, as you can most likely figure out, stream erosion is the eroding of streams!  Erosion from flowing water has a lot to do with how fast the water is moving.  For example, if the water is flowing very slowly, there will not be that much erosion because there is not that much energy to carry particles of erosion.  However, if the speed of the water picks up, then more energy is produced, therefore being able to transport bigger particles. When erosion occurs, particles and or minerals are transported from one place to the next.  According to the site http://www.alevelgeography.com/the-long-profile-changing-processes-types-of-erosion-transportation-and-deposition/ , there are four main ways in which minerals and particles are transported during erosion. We will only be discussing two of these four from this site, and a third from another site, totally three loads.  One of these ways is called solution load.  A solution load is that in which the particles are fully and completely dissolved in the water of the stream.  This means that there are no particles visible.  The second way of transportation in streams is called suspension load.  In a suspension load, the particles or minerals are not dissolved, however, they are very fine particles that are suspended in the water.  This occurs more frequently when there is a higher speed of the water.  These particles are lifted (eroded) and then carried from one place to the next.  A color change in the water is possible here due to the fact that the particles are not dissolved, so an example would be a muddy stream.  The last type of transportation we will be talking about is called bed load.  This type of transportation is a little bit different than the other two we have previously discussed, solution load and suspension load.  Bed load is the group of larger particles and minerals that have settled to the bottom of the stream.  However, even though they have settled, that does not mean that they do not move.  These particles and minerals do move across the bottom of the stream and according to the site http://www.earthonlinemedia.com/ebooks/tpe_3e/fluvial_systems/geologic_work_of_streams.html , there are actually two ways in which these particles and minerals transport from one place to the next.  These two ways are called traction and saltation transportation.  Lets discuss traction.  This is basically when the particles or minerals inch their way along the bottom of the stream.  The next way, saltation, is when particles or minerals that fall into the bed that are originally suspended dis-lodge minerals in the bed load.  The dis-lodged minerals then travel  a little ways until they too fall back into the bed load, dis-lodging more minerals, and so on.  I hope this article was helpful in describing how particles and minerals are transported through erosion.