Theory 03/Reynolds Number/Sediment transport
Resuspension Is a Reynolds Condition
The claim
Fine sediment resuspension occurs at a threshold in particle Reynolds number rather than in bed shear stress, so cohesive and non-cohesive beds resuspend differently at the same shear.
01Mechanism
Resuspension requires the local flow around a particle to overcome its settling; the particle Reynolds number captures that balance.
02Prediction
Resuspension should track particle Reynolds number.
03Refutation
Resuspension tracking shear stress alone would remove the particle term.