HJULSTROM CURVE:

Terms:
1. Competence: maximum size of material which a
river is capable of transporting.

2. Capacity: total load actually transported.

3. Mean or critical erosion velocity: approximate

velocity needed to pick up and transport, in
suspension, particles of various sizes.(minimum
velocity for load to be moved)

4. Mean fall or settling velocity: velocity at which

particles of a given size become too heavy to be
transported and so will fall out of suspension and
be deposited. (minimum velocity needed to continue
transporting load)

Where is the load from?

Sediment in a river comes from a variety of
sources.
(i) Outside the river (exogenetic): mass
movement, rill and gully erosion and sheet
wash.

(ii) From within the rivers channel

itself(endogenetic); material from the
stream bed and banks.

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The relationship between particle size (competence) and
water velocity is shown on a graph called Hjulstrom
graph.

Hjulstrom's Diagram plots two curves representing

mean/critical erosion velocity curve & mean fall or
settling velocity curve.

Particle eroded
Mean/ critical erosion
velocity curve

Particles transported
Mean fall/settling
velocity curve

Particles deposited

* The critical velocities tend to be an area rather than a

straight line on the graph.

For example, sand can be moved easier than silt and or

clay, as fine-grained particles tend to be more cohesive.
Non-connected/loose
High velocities are required to move gravel and cobbles
because of their large size.

There are three importance features on Hjulstrom

curves.

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1. The smallest and largest particles require high
velocities to lift them.
 E.g. particles between 0.1mm and 1 mm require
velocities of around 100mm/sec to be entrained,
compared with values of over 500mm/sec to lift
clay (0.01mm) and gravel (over 2mm).
 Clay resists entrainment due to its cohesion;
gravel, due to its weight.
Pick up material

2. High velocities are required for entrainment than for

transport

3. When velocity falls below a certain level (settling or

fall velocity) those particles are deposited.