The bouncing of material from and along a river bed or a land surface. The impact of a falling sand grain may splash other grains upwards so that a chain of saltating particles may be set up. Saltation upwards is the result of lift forces (see J. S. Bridge 2003); the downward movement occurs when lift is no longer effective and the particle is subject to drag and gravity. See Stout (2004) ESPL 29, 10 on the relationship between saltation activity, and relative wind strength; see also Bauer et al. (2004) Geomorph. 59, 1–4 on shear velocity. The saltation–abrasion model represents river incision by saltation; see Sklar and Dietrich (2006) Geomorph. 82, 1–2.