Final answer:
The total sediment carried by a river is known as the sediment load, comprising various materials such as gravel, sand, silt, and clay, and characteristics of this load change with the river's flow and energy.
Step-by-step explanation:
The total amount of sediment carried by a river is the sediment load. This includes all types of sediment such as gravel, sand, silt, and clay that the river transports. Varying with the river's energy and speed, the sediment load can have different characteristics.
For instance, sediments can often appear reddish due to oxidation. As a river flows, its ability to carry sediment changes; in slower moving parts of the river, more sedimentation typically occurs due to the decreased current.
There are different types of sediment loads carried by a river, namely the suspended load, which consists of particles that are small enough to be carried within the water column; the bed load, which includes the larger particles that are pushed along the bottom by the moving water (traction) or by short jumps or bounces (saltation); and the dissolved load, consisting of soluble substances transported in solution.