Mediaspace scheduled maintenance: Aug 25, 2026 07:00 - 12:00 AM. During this time, videos will be temporarily unavailable. Check status updates.

Lecture

Suspended vs. Dissolved matter in Rivers

Description

This lecture explores the differences between suspended and dissolved matter in rivers, focusing on sediment yield, human impact, TDS origin, and the composition of particulate and dissolved solids. It also covers factors influencing sediment yield, geographical variations, and the influence of man-made vs. natural erosion on river systems.

Official source

Related concepts (32)

River

A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually a freshwater stream, flowing on the surface or inside caves towards another waterbody at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, sea, bay, lake, wetland, or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground or becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of water. Small rivers can be referred to by names such as creek, brook, and rivulet. There are no official definitions for the generic term river as applied to geographic features, although in some countries or communities, a stream is defined by its size.

Sediment transport

Sediment transport is the movement of solid particles (sediment), typically due to a combination of gravity acting on the sediment, and the movement of the fluid in which the sediment is entrained. Sediment transport occurs in natural systems where the particles are clastic rocks (sand, gravel, boulders, etc.), mud, or clay; the fluid is air, water, or ice; and the force of gravity acts to move the particles along the sloping surface on which they are resting.

Erosion

Erosion is the action of surface processes (such as water flow or wind) that removes soil, rock, or dissolved material from one location on the Earth's crust and then transports it to another location where it is deposited. Erosion is distinct from weathering which involves no movement. Removal of rock or soil as clastic sediment is referred to as physical or mechanical erosion; this contrasts with chemical erosion, where soil or rock material is removed from an area by dissolution.

Dissolved organic carbon

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is the fraction of organic carbon operationally defined as that which can pass through a filter with a pore size typically between 0.22 and 0.7 micrometers. The fraction remaining on the filter is called particulate organic carbon (POC). Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is a closely related term often used interchangeably with DOC. While DOC refers specifically to the mass of carbon in the dissolved organic material, DOM refers to the total mass of the dissolved organic matter.

Particulates

Particulates or atmospheric particulate matter (see below for other names) are microscopic particles of solid or liquid matter suspended in the air. The term aerosol commonly refers to the particulate/air mixture, as opposed to the particulate matter alone. Sources of particulate matter can be natural or anthropogenic. They have impacts on climate and precipitation that adversely affect human health, in ways additional to direct inhalation.

Related lectures (27)

Morphodynamics of Alluvial Rivers: Solalex Case Study

Explores the morphodynamics of alluvial rivers through the Solalex case study.

River Hydraulics and Development

Explores sediment transport, river structures, and hydraulic platforms for river development.

River Hydraulics and Bedload Transport: De Cesare Platform

Explores river hydraulics, bedload transport, and hydraulic construction platforms, emphasizing the challenges of predicting sediment movement in rivers and the impact of floods on infrastructure.

Reservoirs and Dams: Sediment Management Strategies

Explores sediment management strategies in reservoirs and dams to mitigate the impact of sedimentation.

Anoxia in (sur)face environments