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This slide illustrates the
interaction of transport capacity, sediment load, sediment production, and
deposition on a complex slope.
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Main points:
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If transport capacity
exceeds sediment load, sediment load will be determined by the amount of
sediment made available by detachment.
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If sediment load exceeds the
amount of sediment produced by detachment, deposition occurs.
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If the sediment load exceeds
transport capacity because of a decrease in transport capacity, deposition
occurs which reduces sediment load.
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When deposition occurs,
sediment loads “lags” transport capacity depending on the fineness of the
sediment.
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Deposition is a selective
process where the coarse particles are deposited leaving the sediment load
enriched in fines.
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In this illustration, local
deposition occurs on the very flat portion of the hillslope because interrill
erosion produces more sediment than the flow can transport.
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Deposition occurs on the
lower end of the slope because of a decrease in transport capacity because of
a flattening of the slope. Deposition
begins to occur where transport capacity equals sediment load. Deposition does not necessarily begin to
occur just where transport capacity begins to decease.
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