Suspensions Flow

Abstract

While rockfall debris move, little stones, sand and dust particles are “boiled” out of the moving mass and mixed with air to form a dust cloud or a suspension and this mixture of dust and air constitutes a suspension current. Stones and sand cannot remain long in suspension; they soon drop out and are deposited. Debris cones are thus often found on top of landslide blocks after the dust is cleared (Fig. 6.1). Like turbidites, the debris cones show graded bedding, indicative of sorting by size while settling from suspension.