Hydro‐meteorological drivers and sources of suspended sediment flux in the pro‐glacial zone of the retreating Castle Creek Glacier,Cariboo Mountains,British Columbia,Canada

Glaciers are major agents of erosion that increase sediment load to the downstream fluvial system. The Castle Creek Glacier, British Columbia, Canada, has retreated ~1.0 km in the past 70 years. Suspended sediment concentration (SSC) and streamflow (Q) were monitored independently at five sites within its pro‐glacial zone over a 60 day period from July to September 2011, representing part of the ablation season. Meteorological data were collected from two automatic weather stations proximal to the glacier. The time‐series were divided into hydrologic days and the shape and magnitude of the SSC response to hydro‐meteorological conditions (‘cold and wet’, ‘hot and dry’, ‘warm and damp’, and ‘storm’) were categorized using principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA). Suspended sediment load (SSL) was computed and summarized for the categories. The distribution of monitoring sites and results of the multivariate statistical analyses describe the temporal and spatial variability of suspended sediment flux and the relative importance of glacial and para‐glacial sediment sources in the pro‐glacial zone. During the 2011 study period, ~ 60% of the total SSL was derived from the glacial stream and sediment deposits proximal to the terminus of the glacier; during ‘storm’ events, that contribution dropped to ~40% as the contribution from diffuse and point sources of sediment throughout the pro‐glacial zone and within the meltwater channels increased. While ‘storm’ events accounted for just 3% of the study period, SSL was ~600% higher than the average over the monitoring period, and ~20% of the total SSL was generated in that time. Determining how hydro‐meteorological conditions and sediment sources control sediment fluxes will assist attempts to predict how pro‐glacial zones respond to future climate changes. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hydroclimatic and channel snowpack controls over suspended sediment and grain size transport in a High Arctic catchment

Temporal variability in suspended sediment delivery processes was studied during three seasons in a 7·9 km² catchment at Cape Bounty, Melville Island, Nunavut in the Canadian High Arctic. Discharge was controlled primarily by the magnitude of snowmelt, with limited inputs from ground ice melt and precipitation. Years with greater snowpack non‐linearly increased sediment yield and resulted in seasonal counter‐clockwise hysteresis, while a year with low snowpack resulted in reduced sediment yield and clockwise hysteresis, and indicates that sediment was increasingly available after the onset of streamflow. In addition to the event‐scale hysteresis observed during the nival discharge peak, diurnal clockwise hysteresis was observed during all three seasons and suggests daily exhaustion of sediment supplies. These results indicate that the channel snowpack plays a primary role over sediment accessibility during the nival discharge peak. Similarly, grain size analysis of suspended material in the river showed that the coarsest mean grain size was transported during the early phase of peak nival discharge and indicates that isolated sources of coarse material were being accessed by high velocity flow. Snowpack is present through the peak nival period and conditions sediment availability by isolating channel sediments from high‐energy flow. These results indicate sediment delivery characteristics in small High Arctic catchments reflect complex interactions with channel snowpack and disproportionate responses to flow conditions that differ from glacial and temperate settings. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Characterization of suspended sediment in Meltwater from Glaciers of Garhwal Himalaya

Glacierised basins are significant sources of sediments generated by glacial retreat. Estimation of suspended sediment transfer from glacierised basins is very important in reservoir planning for hydropower projects in Himalaya. The present study indicates that storage and release of sediment in proglacial streams may categorise the pattern of suspended sediment transfer from these basins. Assessment of suspended sediment concentration (SSC), suspended sediment load (SSL) and yield has been undertaken for Dunagiri Glacier basin located in Garhwal Himalaya (30^o33'20”N, 79^o53'36”E), and its results are compared with the Gangotri and Dokriani glaciers sharing close proximity. Out of the total drainage basin area, about 14.3 % of the area is glacierised. Data were collected for five ablation seasons (1984–1989, barring 1986). The mean daily SSCs for July, August and September were 333.9, 286.0 and 147.15 mg/l, respectively, indicating highest concentration of mean daily suspended sediment in July followed by August. SSL trends were estimated to be 93.0, 57.0 and 21.3 tonnes. About 59% of the total SSL of the melt period was transported during the months of August and September. Sediment yield for the study basin was computed to be 296.3 t km^?2 yr ^?1. It is observed that the cumulative proportion of SSC precedes the discharge throughout the melt season except in the year 1987. Release of SSL in terms of total load is less in the early part of melt season than in the later stage as compared to that of discharge. Diurnal variations in SSC reach their maximum at 2400 h, and therefore, SSC was found to be high during night (2000–0400 h). There was a good relationship between SSC and SSL with discharge for the ablation seasons (1988 and 1989). Mean monthly SSC and mean monthly SSL provide a good exponentional relationship with mean monthly temperature. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Predicting suspended sediment concentrations in the Meuse river using a supply‐based rating curve

A rating curve provides a reasonable estimate of the suspended sediment concentration at a given discharge. However, analysis of a detailed 9‐year time‐series of suspended sediment concentration (SSC) and discharge Q of the Meuse River in The Netherlands indicates that SSC is (besides discharge) controlled by exhaustion and replenishment of different sediment sources. Clockwise hysteresis and other effects of sediment exhaustion can be observed during and after flood events, and the effects of stockpiling of sediment in the river bed during low‐discharge periods are obvious in the SSC of the next flood. In a single regression equation we have implemented a parameter that represents the presence or absence of stock for sediment uptake. In comparison with a rating curve of SSC and Q, adding this parameter is shown to be a more reliable and comprehensive method to predict SSCs at all discharge regimes with all preceding discharge conditions, for single‐peaked and multi‐peaked runoff events as well as for low flow conditions. The method is probably applicable to other small‐ to medium‐scaled river basins. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modelling suspended sediment concentration using artificial neural networks for Gangotri glacier

The dynamics of suspended sediment involves inherent non‐linearity and complexity because of existence of both spatial variability of the basin characteristics and temporal climatic patterns. This complexity, therefore, leads to inaccurate prediction by the conventional sediment rating curve (SRC) and other empirical methods. Over past few decades, artificial neural networks (ANNs) have emerged as one of the advanced modelling techniques capable of addressing inherent non‐linearity in the hydrological processes. In the present study, feed‐forward back propagation (FFBP) algorithm of ANNs is used to model stage–discharge–suspended sediment relationship for ablation season (May–September) for melt runoff released from Gangotri glacier, one of the largest glaciers in Himalaya. The simulations have been carried out on primary data of suspended sediment concentration (SSC) discharge and stage for ablation season of 11‐year period (1999–2009). Combinations of different input vectors (viz. stage, discharge and SSC) for present and previous days are considered for development of the ANN models and examining the effects of input vectors. Further, based on model performance indices for training and testing phase, a suitable modelling approach with appropriate model input structure is suggested. The conventional SRC method is also used for modelling discharge–sediment relationship and performance of developed models is evaluated by statistical indices, namely; root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE) and coefficient of determination (R²). Statistically, the performance of ANN‐based models is found to be superior as compared to SRC method in terms of the selected performance indices in simulating the daily SSC. The study reveals suitability of ANN approach for simulation and estimation of daily SSC in glacier melt runoff and, therefore, opens new avenues of research for application of hybrid soft computing models in glacier hydrology. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Suspended sediment dynamics associated with snowmelt runoff in a small mountain stream of Lake Tahoe (Nevada)

The Lake Tahoe basin is experiencing an environmental decline that is partly due to sediment intakes from its tributaries. Many studies have estimated suspended sediment loads in these streams with a discrete sampling programme by collecting water samples and using a rating technique. However, the relationship between stream discharge and suspended sediment concentration (SSC) in these tributaries is known to differ during the rising and falling limbs of the snowmelt‐dominated hydrograph. Because of this hysteresis effect, sediment rating curves are poor predictors of suspended sediment dynamics in the stream. In this study, suspended sediment transport was investigated using a turbidity meter to provide a continuous record of sediment concentration during the snowmelt period. Hysteresis in suspended sediment transport was also investigated and is quantified with an H index, which is the ratio of the areas under the curve at different stages of the hydrograph. The temporal lag between the peak of SSC and the peak of stream discharge was quantified using cross‐correlation analysis. For almost all events, SSCs were higher during the rising limb of the hydrograph for a given discharge, with SSC peaks occurring before discharge peaks, resulting in clockwise hysteresis (H > 1). The H indices increased (looser hysteresis loop) as the availability of sediments increased and as the lag between peaks in SSC and discharge was larger. A restriction of the proposed H index was that it could only be computed when stream discharge increased by more than 30% during a melt event. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Estimation of suspended sediment loads in a seasonal stream in the wet‐dry tropics,Northern Territory,Australia

One year of instantaneous suspended sediment concentration, C, and instantaneous discharge, Q, data collected at Ngarradj downstream of the Jabiluka mine site indicate that the use of a simple C–Q rating curve is not a reliable method for estimating suspended sediment loads from the Ngarradj catchment. The C–Q data are not only complicated by hysteresis effects within the rising and falling stages of individual events, but also by variable depletion of available suspended sediment through multipeaked runoff events. Parameter values were fitted to an event‐based suspended sediment load–Q relationship as an alternative to the C–Q relationship. Total suspended sediment load and Q data for 10 observed events in the Ngarradj stream catchment were used to fit parameter values to a suspended sediment load–Q relationship, using (a) log–log regression and (b) iterative parameter fitting techniques. A more reliable and statistically significant prediction of suspended sediment load from the Ngarradj catchment is obtained using an event‐based suspended sediment load–Q relationship. Fitting parameters to the event‐based suspended sediment load–Q relationship using iterative techniques better predicts long‐term suspended sediment loads compared with log–log regression techniques. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Discharge‐sediment processes of the Zhadang glacier on the Tibetan Plateau measured with a high frequency data acquisition system

In high elevation cold regions of the Tibetan Plateau, suspended sediment transfer from glacier meltwater erosion is one of the important hydrological components. The Zhadang glacier is a typical valley‐type glacier in the Nyainqentanglha Mountains on the Tibetan Plateau. To make frequent and long period records of meltwater runoff and sediment processes in the very high elevation and isolated regions, an automatic system was installed near the glacier snout (5400 m a.s.l) in August 2013, to measure the transient discharge and sediment processes at 5‐min interval, which is shorter than the time span for the water flow to traverse the catchment from the farthest end to the watershed outlet. Diurnal variations of discharge, and suspended sediment concentration (SSC) were recorded at high frequency for the Zhadang glacier, before suspended sediment load (SSL) was computed. Hourly SSC varied from the range of 0.2 kg/m³ to 0.5 kg/m³ (at 8:00–9:00) to the range of 2.0 kg/m³ to 4.0 kg/m³ (at 17:00–18:00). The daily SSL was 32.24 t during the intense ablation period. Hourly SSC was linearly correlated with discharge (r = 0.885**, n = 18, p < 0.01). A digit‐eight hysteresis loop was observed for the sediment transport in the glacier area. Air temperature fluctuations influence discharge, and then result in the sediment variations. The results of this study provide insight into the responses of suspended sediment delivery processes with a high frequency data in the high elevation cold regions. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Use of turbidometry to characterize suspended sediment and phosphorus fluxes in the Lake Tahoe basin,California, USA

The efficacy of in‐stream nephelometric turbidometry as a surrogate for total suspended solids (TSS) and total phosphorus (TP) concentrations was evaluated for use in low turbidity (<50 NTU) subalpine watersheds at Lake Tahoe, California–Nevada, USA. Continuous turbidity records for the 1999, 2000 and 2001 snowmelt seasons and data from water quality samples (1982–2000) were examined to determine watershed sediment delivery dynamics. Strong correlations were found between turbidity and both TSS and TP concentration. The strong correlation indicates that turbidity can serve as a good surrogate for direct measurement in these watersheds. The watersheds displayed clockwise hysteresis: sediment flushing and depletion, on daily, seasonal and decadal time‐scales. The hysteresis curves had strong concave shapes, indicating a sensitive response to peak flow. A pronounced seasonal trend was observed for the ratio of suspended sediment concentration (SSC)/discharge over time, indicating early season flushing of available sediment. Significant linear relationships (p < 0·05) were found for 12 of 17 years. Comparison of annual sediment rating curve coefficients indicated smaller coefficients during high sediment loading years and in the years following. The smaller coefficients are evidence of sediment depletion during high flow years. The effect of hysteresis on monitoring methods was illustrated by comparing turbidity estimates of TSS load with sediment rating curve estimates of SSC. After accounting for differences in SSC/TSS methods of analysis, daily loads calculated with turbidity methods were 58–98% of rating curve estimates for the spring snowmelt seasons of 1999–2001. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Estimating suspended sediment concentrations in areas with limited hydrological data using a mixed‐effects model

Sediment rating curves are commonly used to estimate the suspended sediment load in rivers and streams under the assumption of a constant relation between discharge (Q) and suspended sediment concentrations (SSC) over time. However, temporal variation in the sediment supply of a watershed results in shifts in this relation by increasing variability and by introducing nonlinearities in the form of hysteresis or a path‐dependent relation. In this study, we used a mixed‐effects linear model to estimate an average SSC–Q relation for different periods of time within the hydrologic cycle while accounting for seasonality and hysteresis. We tested the performance of the mixed‐effects model against the standard rating curve, represented by a generalized least squares regression, by comparing observed and predicted sediment loads for a test case on the Chilliwack River, British Columbia, Canada. In our analyses, the mixed‐effects model reflected more accurate patterns of interpolated SSC from Q data than the rating curve, especially for the low‐flow summer months when the SSC–Q relation is less clear. Akaike information criterion scores were lower for the mixed‐effects model than for the standard model, and the mixed‐effects model explained nearly twice as much variance as the standard model (52% vs 27%). The improved performance was achieved by accounting for variability in the SSC–Q relation within each month and across years for the same month using fixed and random effects, respectively, a characteristic disregarded in the sediment rating curve. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Diurnal variations in discharge and suspended sediment concentration,including runoff‐delaying characteristics,of the Gangotri Glacier in the Garhwal Himalayas

Diurnal variations in discharge and suspended sediment concentration (SSC), including runoff delaying characteristics, have been studied for the Gangotri Glacier, the largest glacier in the Garhwal Himalayas (glacierized area 286 km²; drainage area 556 km²). Hourly discharge and SSC data were collected near the snout of the glacier (∼4000 m) at an interval of about 15 days for an entire ablation period (May–October 2001). Diurnal variability in SSC was found to be much higher than the discharge. Hysteresis trends between discharge and SSC were established. Results indicate that, for the study glacier, clockwise hysteresis dominated for the entire melt season, indicating that most of the time the SSC led the discharge. During the peak melt period, anticlockwise hysteresis was also observed for a few hours. Assessment of runoff‐delaying characteristics was made by estimating the time lag between the occurrence of melting and its appearance as runoff along with estimation of time to peak. A comparison of runoff‐delaying parameters with discharge ratio clearly indicated that changes in time lag and time to peak are inversely correlated with variations in discharge. Attempts have also been made to establish the relationship between discharge and SSC using short‐interval data. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Factors controlling the chemical evolution of travertine‐depositing rivers of the Barkly karst,northern Australia

Groundwaters feeding travertine‐depositing rivers of the northeastern segment of the Barkly karst (NW Queensland, Australia) are of comparable chemical composition, allowing a detailed investigation of how the rate of downstream chemical evolution varies from river to river. The discharge, pH, temperature, conductivity and major‐ion concentrations of five rivers were determined by standard field and laboratory techniques. The results show that each river experiences similar patterns of downstream chemical evolution, with CO₂ outgassing driving the waters to high levels of calcite supersaturation, which in turn leads to widespread calcium carbonate deposition. However, the rate at which the waters evolve, measured as the loss of CaCO₃ per kilometre, varies from river to river, and depends primarily upon discharge at the time of sampling and stream gradient. For example, Louie Creek (Q = 0·11 m³ s^?1) and Carl Creek (Q = 0·50 m³ s^?1) have identical stream gradients, but the loss of CaCO₃ per kilometre for Louie Creek is twice that of Carl Creek. The Gregory River (Q = 3·07 m³ s^?1), O'Shanassy River (Q = 0·57 m³ s^?1) and Lawn Hill Creek (Q = 0·72 m³ s^?1) have very similar gradients, but the rate of hydrochemical evolution of the Gregory River is significantly less than either of the other two systems. The results have major implications for travertine deposition: the stream reach required for waters to evolve to critical levels of calcite supersaturation will, all others things being equal, increase with increasing discharge, and the length of reach over which travertine is deposited will also increase with increasing discharge. This implies that fossil travertine deposits preserved well downstream of modern deposition limits are likely to have been formed under higher discharge regimes. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Assessment of suspended sediment transport in four alpine watersheds (France): influence of the climatic regime

High‐frequency water discharge and suspended sediment concentration (SSC) databases were collected for 3 years on four contrasted watersheds: the Asse and the Bléone (two Mediterranean rainfall regime watersheds) and the Romanche and the Ferrand (two rainfall–snowmelt regime watersheds). SSCs were calculated from turbidity recordings (1‐h time step), converted into SSC values. The rating curve was calculated by means of simultaneous SSC measurement taken by water sampling and turbidity recording. Violent storms during springtime and autumn were responsible for suspended sediment transport on the Asse and the Bléone rivers. On the Ferrand and the Romanche, a large share of suspended sediment transport was also caused by local storms, but 30% of annual fluxes results from snowmelt or icemelt which occurred from April to October. On each watershed, SSC up to 50 g l^?1 were observed. Annual specific fluxes ranged from 450 to 800 t km^?2 year^?1 and 40–80% of annual suspended sediment fluxes occurred within 2% of the time. These general indicators clearly demonstrate the intensity of suspended sediment transport on these types of watersheds. Suspended sediment fluxes proved to be highly variable at the annual scale (inter‐annual variability of specific fluxes) as well as at the event scale (through a hysteresis loop in the SSC/Q relationship) on these watersheds. In both cases, water discharge and precipitations were the main processes involved in suspended sediment production and transport. The temporal and spatial variability of hydro‐meteorological processes on the watershed provides a better understanding of suspended sediment dynamics. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The effect of El Niño Southern Oscillation cycles on the decadal scale suspended sediment behavior of a coastal dry‐summer subtropical catchment

Rivers display temporal dependence in suspended sediment–water discharge relationships. Although most work has focused on multi‐decadal trends, river sediment behavior often displays sub‐decadal scale fluctuations that have received little attention. The objectives of this study were to identify inter‐annual to decadal scale fluctuations in the suspended sediment–discharge relationship of a dry‐summer subtropical river, infer the mechanisms behind these fluctuations, and examine the role of El Niño Southern Oscillation climate cycles. The Salinas River (California) is a moderate sized (11 000 km²), coastal dry‐summer subtropical catchment with a mean discharge (Q_mean) of 11.6 m³ s^?1. This watershed is located at the northern most extent of the Pacific coastal North America region that experiences increased storm frequency during El Niño years. Event to inter‐annual scale suspended sediment behavior in this system was known to be influenced by antecedent hydrologic conditions, whereby previous hydrologic activity regulates the suspended sediment concentration–water discharge relationship. Fine and sand suspended sediment in the lower Salinas River exhibited persistent, decadal scale periods of positive and negative discharge corrected concentrations. The decadal scale variability in suspended sediment behavior was influenced by inter‐annual to decadal scale fluctuations in hydrologic characteristics, including: elapsed time since small (~0.1 × Q_mean), and moderate (~10 × Q_mean) threshold discharge values, the number of preceding days that low/no flow occurred, and annual water yield. El Niño climatic activity was found to have little effect on decadal‐scale fluctuations in the fine suspended sediment–discharge relationship due to low or no effect on the frequency of moderate to low discharge magnitudes, annual precipitation, and water yield. However, sand concentrations generally increased in El Niño years due to the increased frequency of moderate to high magnitude discharge events, which generally increase sand supply. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hydrometeorological assessments and suspended sediment delivery from a central Himalayan glacier in the upper Ganga basin

Integrated hydrometeorological investigations are not frequently available at a regional scale over a longer time period, especially near the terminus of Indian Himalayan glaciers. An integrated approach to the collection of hydrological data has major advantages for understanding the runoff generation mechanisms at basin scale, particularly when coupled with meteorological observations. The current study involves time series analysis of hydrometeorological records collected near the terminus of the Chorabari Glacier, for four consecutive ablation seasons(June-Sept.) 2009-2012. The analysis shows that variation in rainfall was higher(c_v= 0.9) at the same elevation over proximal sites, while the intensity of extreme rainfall events was 121-160 mm/d. The diurnal temperature range(DTR) has a tendency to reduce over the ablation season because of the onset of the Indian Summer Monsoon(ISM) and then further increases during the ISM withdrawal indicating humid-temperate conditions. The peak discharge(Qpeak) was found to be higher during July and August. Snow and glacier melt contributed 76% of the total suspended sediment transport during peak ISM months(July and August) reflecting seasonal evolution of the hydrologic conduits. The results indicate that Karakoram and western Himalayan glaciers produce comparatively low sediment yield compared to central Himalayan glaciers. The hydrological variations are depicted through flow duration curves(FDC) for meltwater discharge and sediment load. The flow corresponding to Q_(50), Q_(75), and Q_(90)(where Qx is the discharge that is exceeded x percent of the time referred to as % dependability) are 4.2, 3.7, and 2.8 m~3/s; and the corresponding dependability for suspended sediment loads(SSLs) are 409.0, 266.0, and 157.2 t/d, respectively. The daily SSL and discharge(Q) from 2009 to 2012 were used to develop a sediment rating curve(SSL = 39.55 × Q~(1.588). R~2 = 0.8).Multiple regressions are used to determine the impacts of meteorological parameters on glacier melt.The meteorological conditions, hydrological characteristics, and suspended sediment delivery for the Chorabari Glacier provide insight on meltwater generation processes and sediment transport patterns during the ISM season.     

Analyses of suspended sediment loads in Slovenian rivers

ABSTRACT

Suspended solids are present in every river, but high quantities can worsen the ecological conditions of streams; therefore, effective monitoring and analysis of this hydrological variable are necessary. Frequency, seasonality, inter-correlation, extreme events, trends and lag analyses were carried out for peaks of suspended sediment concentration (SSC) and discharge (Q) data from Slovenian streams using officially monitored data from 1955 to 2006 that were made available by the Slovenian Environment Agency. In total more than 500 station-years of daily Q and SSC data were used. No uniform (positive or negative) trend was found in the SSC series; however, all the statistically significant trends were decreasing. No generalization is possible for the best fit distribution function. A seasonality analysis showed that most of the SSC peaks occurred in the summer (short-term intense convective precipitation produced by thunderstorms) and in the autumn (prolonged frontal precipitation). Correlations between Q and SSC values were generally relatively small (Pearson correlation coefficient values from 0.05 to 0.59), which means that the often applied Q–SSC curves should be used with caution when estimating annual suspended sediment loads. On average, flood peak Q occurred after the corresponding SSC peak (clockwise-positive hysteresis loops), but the average lag time was rather small (less than 1 day).

Editor M.C. Acreman; Associate editor Y. Gyasi-Agyei     

Short‐term discharge and suspended sediment fluctuations in the proglacial Skeldal River,north‐east Greenland

The summer discharge pattern of the Skeldal River, which drains a 560 km² partly glacierized catchment in north‐east Greenland, is dominated by diurnal oscillations reflecting variations in the melt rate of snow and ice in the basin. Superimposed on this diurnal pattern are numerous short‐lived discharge fluctuations of irregular periodicity and magnitude. The larger fluctuations are described and attributed to both rainfall events and periodic collapse of the glacier margin damming flow from beneath the Skelbrae glacier. Other minor fluctuations are less readily explained but are associated with changes in the channelized and distributed reservoirs and possibly temporary blockage of subglacial conduits caused by ice melt with subsequent damming. Fluctuations in suspended sediment concentration (SSC) are normally associated with discharge fluctuations, although examples of ‘transient flushes’ were observed where marked increases in SSC occurred in the absence of corresponding discharge variations. A strong relationship between the event discharge increase and event SSC increase for rainfall‐induced events was established, but no such relationship existed for non‐rainfall‐induced events. There is some evidence for an exhaustion effect in the SSC patterns both at the event time‐scale and as the month proceeds. A mean suspended sediment load of 1765 ± 0·26 t day^?1 was estimated for the study period, which would be equivalent to a suspended sediment yield of 732 ± 4 t km^?2 year^?1. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dynamics of suspended sediment transport at field‐scale drain channels of irrigation‐dominated watersheds in the Sonoran Desert,southeastern California

Suspended sediment is a major source of pollution in irrigation‐dominated watersheds. However, little is known about the process and mechanisms of suspended sediment transport in drain channels directly connected to agricultural fields. This paper explains sediment dynamics using averaged 5 min flow discharge Q (m³ s^?1) and suspended sediment concentration C (mg l^?1) collected during one crop season in a small catchment containing a first‐order drain channel and its connected six agricultural fields within the Salton Sea watershed. The statistical properties and average trends of Q and C were investigated for both early (i.e. November) and late (i.e. January) stages of a crop season. Further in‐depth analysis on sediment dynamics was performed by selecting two typical single‐field irrigation events and two multiple‐field irrigation events. For each set of irrigation events, the process of suspended sediment transport was revealed by examining hydrograph and sediment graph responses. The mechanisms underlying suspended sediment transport were investigated by analysing the types of corresponding hysteresis loop. Finally, sediment rating curves for both hourly and daily data at early and late stages and for the entire crop season were established to seek possible sediment‐transport predictive model(s). The study suggests that the complicated processes of suspended sediment transport in irrigation‐dominated watersheds require stochastic rather than deterministic forecasting. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Erosion mechanisms and sediment sources in a peatland forest after ditch cleaning

Ditch cleaning in drained peatland forests increases sediment loads and degrades water quality in headwater streams and lakes. A better understanding of the processes controlling ditch erosion and sediment transport in such systems is a prerequisite for proper peatland management. In order to relate hydrological observations to key erosion processes in headwater peatlands drained for forestry, a two‐year study was conducted in a nested sub‐catchment system (treated with ditch cleaning) and at two reference sites. The treated catchment was instrumented for continuous discharge and turbidity monitoring, erosion pin measurements of changes in ditch bed and banks and time‐integrated sampling of suspended sediment (SS) composition. The results showed that ditch cleaning clearly increased transient suspended sediment concentrations (SSCs) and suspended sediment yields (SSYs), and resulted in temporary storage of loosely deposited organic sediment in the ditch network. After exhaustion of this sediment storage, subaerial processes and erosion from ditch banks became dominant in producing sediment for transport. Recorded SSCs were higher on the rising limbs of event hydrographs throughout the study period, indicating that SS transport was limited by availability of erosion‐prone sediment. A strong positive correlation (R² = 0.84, p < 0.001) between rainfall intensity (above a threshold of 1 mm h^?1) and average SSC obtained on the rising limb of hydrographs for the sub‐catchment showed that soil detachment from ditch banks by raindrop impact can directly increase SSC in runoff. At the main catchment outlet, variation in SSC was best explained (R² = 0.67, p < 0.05) by the linear combination of initial discharge (?), peak discharge (+) and the lag time from initial to peak discharge (?). Based on these factors, ditch cleaning slightly increased peak discharges and decreased transit times in the study catchment. The implications of the results for water pollution management in peatland forests are discussed. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dynamics of suspended sediment transport and yield in a large agricultural catchment,southwest France

The dynamics of suspended sediment transport were monitored continuously in a large agricultural catchment in southwest France from January 2007 to March 2009. The objective of this paper is to analyse the temporal variability in suspended sediment transport and yield in that catchment. Analyses were also undertaken to assess the relationships between precipitation, discharge and suspended sediment transport, and to interpret sediment delivery processes using suspended sediment‐discharge hysteresis patterns. During the study period, we analysed 17 flood events, with high resolution suspended sediment data derived from continuous turbidity and automatic sampling. The results revealed strong seasonal, annual and inter‐annual variability in suspended sediment transport. Sediment was strongly transported during spring, when frequent flood events of high magnitude and intensity occurred. Annual sediment transport in 2007 yielded 16 614 tonnes, representing 15 t km^?2 (85% of annual load transport during floods for 16% of annual duration), while the 2008 sediment yield was 77 960 tonnes, representing 70 t km^?2 (95% of annual load transport during floods for 20% of annual duration). Analysis of the relationships between precipitation, discharge and suspended sediment transport showed that there were significant correlations between total precipitation, peak discharge, total water yield, flood intensity and sediment variables during the flood events, but no relationship with antecedent conditions. Flood events were classified in relation to suspended sediment concentration (SSC)–discharge hysteretic loops, complemented with temporal dynamics of SSC–discharge ranges during rising and falling flow. The hysteretic shapes obtained for all flood events reflected the distribution of probable sediment sources throughout the catchment. Regarding the sediment transport during all flood events, clockwise hysteretic loops represented 68% from river deposited sediments and nearby source areas, anticlockwise 29% from distant source areas, and simultaneity of SSC and discharge 3%. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.