What is the Shield's curve?

Explain how the diagram got the shape through simplification from Hjulstrom diagram

The Shields curve is a graphical representation of the critical conditions for the entrainment of non-cohesive
sediments by fluid flow. The curve plots the dimensionless shear stress on the bed of a fluid against the
dimensionless particle size.

The Shields curve is a graphical representation that illustrates the relationship between the Shields parameter (Θ) and
the Reynolds number (Re). The Shields parameter is a non-dimensional number used to calculate the initiation of motion
of sediment in a fluid flow. It is also known as the Shields criterion or Shields number. The Reynolds number is a
dimensionless quantity that helps to determine whether a fluid is laminar or turbulent. The Shields curve is used to
define the stability of granular material (sand, gravel) in running water. It separates the zones of "movement" and "no
movement" in the fluid flow, with "movement" occurring when the shear stress exerted by the fluid on the sediment is
greater than the resistance provided by the sediment. The Shields curve is valid for uniform flow on a flat bed, and its
shape depends on factors such as particle density, fluid density, and kinematic viscosity.

The Shields curve was derived from the Hjulström curve

by recasting the Shields parameter and the boundary
Reynolds number into two equivalent dimensionless
variables. The Hjulström curve is a graph used by
hydrologists and geologists to determine whether a river
will erode, transport, or deposit sediment. It takes
sediment particle size and water velocity into account and
shows the critical erosion velocity as a function of particle
size in the upper curve and the deposition velocity as a
function of particle size in the lower curve.

To simplify the Hjulström curve, the Shields parameter and

the boundary Reynolds number were recast into two equivalent dimensionless variables, one with the particle size but
not the shear stress and the other with the shear stress but not the particle size. The resulting graph is the Shields curve,
which plots the Shields parameter against the Reynolds number. The Shields parameter expresses the shear stress
required to initiate grain movement, while the Reynolds number relates inertial forces and dynamic fluid viscosity to the
two fundamental types of flow - laminar and turbulent. The Shields curve is used to define the stability of granular
material in running water and to define the initiation of motion in sediment transport.

State the criteria for sediment motion. What is the process of sediment particles in a moving bed?

The criteria for sediment motion involve the balance of forces acting on the sediment particles. For a fluid to begin
transporting sediment that is currently at rest on a surface, the boundary (or bed) shear stress exerted by the fluid must
exceed the critical shear stress for the initiation of motion of grains at the bed. This basic criterion for the initiation of
motion can be expressed as the minimum shear stress needed to move a given particle or as the largest grain size that
can be moved by a given shear stress, which is termed competence by geologists.
The critical shear stress can be determined using methods based on the concept of critical shear stress, such as the
Shields diagram or the movability number, which is defined as the ratio of the shear velocity to the particle's settling
velocity. An alternative method that uses the movability number was employed to develop an empirical incipient motion
criterion based on the movability number, providing a simple and accurate method of computing the threshold
condition for sediment motion.

The process of sediment particles in a moving bed involves the transport of solid particles 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, and the fluid is
air, water, or ice. The sediments entrained in a flow can be transported along the bed as bed load in the form of sliding
and rolling grains, or in suspension as suspended load advected by the main flow

When the fluid is not moving fast enough to move the particle,
then the particle is motionless, therefore not accelerating, so
all the forces acting on it must be in balance. The forces acting
on the sediment particles are of three kinds: particle weight,
particle-to-particle contact forces, and fluid forces. The
particle weight is easy to deal with: it is just the submerged
weight per unit volume of the sediment material, times the
volume of the particle. The contact forces, exerted upward on
the given particle by the underlying particles on which it rests,
become adjusted in light of the contact geometry, the particle
weight, and the fluid forces so that the particle is
motionless. The fluid forces are much more difficult to deal
with, as there is locally a flow around the bed particle, and
there should be both viscous shear stresses and pressure
acting at every point of the surface of the particle

What are the physical processes involved in sediment transport?

Sediment transport is the movement of solid particles, such as sand, silt, and clay, by natural forces such as wind, water,
and ice. These particles are eroded from the land surface and transported to other locations, where they are eventually
deposited.

The five main physical processes involved in sediment transport are:

1. Erosion: Erosion is the process of detaching and removing rock and soil particles from the land surface. This can
be caused by a variety of factors, including wind, water, ice, and gravity.

2. Transportation: Transportation is the movement of sediment from one location to another. This can be done by
wind, water, ice, or gravity. The distance that sediment is transported depends on the strength of the
transporting agent and the size and weight of the sediment particles.
 3. Suspension: Suspension is the carrying of sediment particles in a fluid medium, such as air or water. Sediment
particles are suspended in a fluid when the upward force of the fluid is greater than the downward force of
gravity.

4. Saltration: Saltation is the bouncing or skipping of sediment particles along the bed of a fluid medium. Saltation
is most common for sand-sized particles, which are too heavy to be suspended but too light to be rolled or
dragged along the bed.

5. Deposition: Deposition is the settling of sediment particles out of a fluid medium. Sediment particles are
deposited when the upward force of the fluid is no longer strong enough to overcome the downward force of
gravity.

These five processes are constantly working together to shape the Earth's surface. Erosion, transportation, and
deposition are all essential parts of the cycle of sedimentation.

The physical processes involved in sediment transport include the movement of solid particles due to a combination of
gravity and the movement of the fluid, with sediment transport occurring in natural systems where the particles are
clastic rocks, mud, or clay, and the fluid is air, water, or ice. Sediment transport can occur due to fluid motion, glaciers,
and wind, and the primary process of sediment transport happens in four different ways: traction, saltation, suspension,
and solution.