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likely distributions.<br />

4 DISCUSSION<br />

For any given flow rate over a flat bed or over a bedform<br />

carrying a wide particle size range we can divide the total<br />

sediment transport into bedload, suspended load or wash load; Gyr<br />

(1983) . Flow separation causes essential differences in the<br />

bedform system, mainly by producing a distinctively inhomogeneous<br />

vorticity distribution which is available to interact with the<br />

sediment. Our experiments were designed to highlight visually<br />

this behaviour and to characterise important suspension<br />

mechanisms around such bedforms.<br />

Although direct visualisation made for tedious retrieval <strong>of</strong><br />

quantitative information (25,000 footprints from 2500<br />

trajectories), it nevertheless provided an opportunity to<br />

identify a new phenomenon in sandwave transport which is reported<br />

in chapter 4. The use <strong>of</strong> fixed bedforms and model particles<br />

facilitated independent observation <strong>of</strong> sediment suspension from<br />

different areas <strong>of</strong> the bedform.<br />

In closing this section we define an "interactive fraction" for<br />

sediment suspension from jetted load and consider how this<br />

concept may be utilised for field application.<br />

3-16

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