If river velocity decreases but sediment load is high, which process is more likely?

Correct answer: Deposition

The direct answer is D: deposition is most likely. River velocity controls how much sediment the water can carry. When velocity decreases, the river loses energy and carrying capacity. If the sediment load is high, the river cannot keep all of it suspended or rolling along the bed, so particles settle. This is deposition. Option A, vertical erosion, is less likely because strong downward cutting generally needs considerable stream energy and often a steeper gradient. Option B, marine salinity, is a property of seawater and is not the river process described. Option C, land uplift, is a tectonic movement of the crust, not a direct result of slowing water. Option D correctly matches low velocity with settling of a heavy sediment load. The result may contribute to bars, flood plains, levees, or deltas depending on location. Memory cue: low speed, heavy load, material drops.