Turbulence and Diffusion as Factors in Sediment Transportation

Abstract

The importance of turbulence in the transportation of sediment has long been recognized by hydraulic engineers and research workers in fluid flow. The turbulence contains the cross components of flow that transport or diffuse sediment from the bed into the main body of the stream. Without this turbulent motion no sediment could be picked up from the bed and there would be no muddy streams. Transport would be limited to the small amount resulting from the rolling and sliding of particles at the bed under the action of viscous shear.