Which process most directly contributes to sorting alluvial sediments by particle size during fluvial transport?

💡 Explanation

When water flows, differential settling occurs because larger, denser particles settle faster due to gravity overcoming buoyancy and drag forces, leading to size-based sorting of sediments. Therefore, settling velocities directly contribute to alluvial sorting, rather than electrochemical forces, thermal cycling, or biological activity, which generate different sediment structures.

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