Suspended sediment transport in a highly erodible catchment: The River Isábena (Southern Pyrenees)

Understanding and quantifying sediment load is important in catchments draining highly erodible materials that eventually contribute to siltation of downstream reservoirs. Within this context, the suspended sediment transport and its temporal dynamics have been studied in the River Isábena (445 km², south-central Pyrenees, Ebro basin) by means of direct sampling and turbidity recording during a 3-year dry period. The average flood-suspended sediment concentration was 8 g l^− 1, with maximum instantaneous values above 350 g l^− 1. The high scatter between discharge and suspended sediment concentrations (up to five orders of magnitude) has not permitted the use of rating curve methods to estimate the total load. Interpolation techniques yielded a mean annual sediment load of 184,253 t y^− 1 for the study period, with a specific yield of 414 t km^− 2 y^− 1. This value resembles those reported for small torrents in nearby mountainous environments and is the result of the high connectivity between the badland source areas and stream courses, a fact that maximises sediment conveyance through the catchment. Floods dominated the sediment transport and yield. However, sediment transport was more constant through time than that observed in Mediterranean counterparts; this can be attributed to the role of base flows that entrain fine sediment temporarily stored in the channel and force the river to carry high sediment concentrations (i.e., generally in the order of 0.5 g l^− 1), even under minimum flow conditions.     

The Organic Component of Particulate Matter in Small Streams of the Northern Yenisei Region During the Summer-Autumn Period

A quantitative assessment is made of suspended sediment load, including particulate organic matter and organic carbon, in 2014 for the small streams of the Northern Yenisei region, in the taiga–tundra transition zone (near the city of Igarka, Krasnoyarsk krai). It was found that the suspended sediment concentration (SSC) of the streams under investigation fluctuated between 2 and 18 mg/L during the summer–autumn low-water period of 2014. The proportion of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the total sediment yield varied from 16.4% to 74.1%, depending on landscape-geomorphological conditions for suspended sediment formation: it is higher for streams with tundra catchments and lower on forest watersheds underlain by sandy and clayey loams. The DOM content varies from catchment to catchment from 1.63 to 2.42 mg/L, and the mean concentration of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is estimated at 0.73 to 1.09 mg C/L. It is shown that the local channel transformations serve as the main source of POM and DOC input to the water of two out of three streams under study. Surface runoff or fast subsurface flow in the organic soil horizon is the external source of DOM input to the water of the third stream during flooding. Regional empirical dependencies were obtained, which correlate the water discharge, total SSC and the proportion of DOM are obtained. The long-term proportion of DOM in the annual suspended sediment flow of the Graviika river makes up 25% and DOC, 11%, or, in absolute values, 406 and 183 t/year, and in units of layer 1.26 and 0.57 t/km², respectively.     

Deriving hillslope sediment budgets in wildfire-affected forests using fallout radionuclide tracers

Information on post-fire sediment and nutrient redistribution is required to underpin post-fire catchment management decisions. Fallout radionuclide budgets (²¹⁰Pb_xs, ¹³⁷Cs and ⁷Be) were derived to quantify soil redistribution and sediment yield in forested terrain following a moderately severe wildfire in a small (89 ha) water supply catchment in SE Australia. Application of these techniques in burnt terrain requires careful consideration of the partitioning of radionuclides between organic and mineral soil components. Beryllium-7 and ²¹⁰Pb_xs were shown to be closely associated with ash, litter and soil organic matter whereas ¹³⁷Cs was more closely associated with subsurface coarse mineral soil. Comparison of the three tracer budgets indicated that the dominant sediment source areas were ridgetops and steep valley sideslopes, from which burnt surface material was conveyed to the stream network via pre-existing gullies. Erosion was predominantly driven by sheetwash, enhanced by soil water repellency, and modified by bioturbation which both supplies subsurface sediment and provides sinks for erosive overland flow. Footslope and riparian zones were not important sediment source areas. The estimated event-based (wildfire and subsequent rainfall) sediment yield is 58 ± 25 t km^− 2, based on fallout ⁷Be measurements. The upper estimate of total particulate phosphorus yield (0.70 kg ha^− 1) is more than 10 times that at equivalent unburnt sites. This illustrates that, soon after fire, burnt eucalypt forest can produce nutrient loads similar to those of agricultural catchments. The tracer budgets indicate that wildfire is an important control on sediment and phosphorus inputs to the stream network over the decadal timeframe and the pulsed nature of this release is an important concern for water quality management.     

Understanding the surface hydrology of the Lake Eyre Basin: Part 2—Streamflow

This is the second of two papers examining the surface hydrology of the Lake Eyre Basin (LEB) (1,140,000 km²) in Australia. The streams are unregulated and are characterised by extreme discharge variation. The analyses reported cover only surface hydrology and include comparisons with arid zone catchments globally. The paper discusses spatial runoff and annual streamflow characteristics, flow duration and baseflow index (BFI) analyses, annual flood frequency analysis and flood transmission losses, a water balance study, wet and dry run length analysis and, finally, yield from hypothetical reservoirs located across the LEB. There are 12 conclusions listed at the end of the paper. We identify two highlights as follows:

• The coefficient of variation of annual flows, Cv, varies from 0.98 to 2.62. Compared with 45 arid zone rivers world-wide excluding Australian rivers, the annual Cv of the LEB streams are approximately double the average variability found world-wide.

• Large transmission losses occur as flood flows move down the middle reaches of the major river systems. The transmission losses vary non-linearly with flood size as a result of differing transmission efficiencies between primary channels and the floodplain, and varying floodplain utilisation.

DISCHARGE AND SEDIMENT-LOAD CHARACTERISTICS OF THE HILDA ROCK-GLACIER STREAM,CANADIAN ROCKY MOUNTAINS,ALBERTA

Water discharge and sediment load characteristics of the Hilda rock-glacier stream are described for portions of the 1985 and 1986 ablation seasons. Covering an area of 1.5 km², the Hilda rock glacier yields a relatively consistent flow, generally low in suspended sediments and relatively high in total dissolved solids during the ablation season. The seasonal hydrograph shows decreasing discharge and suspended sediment load and increasing dissolved loads through the ablation season as snowmelt water sources are depleted. Superimposed on this is a diurnal hydrograph showing that daily peaks in discharge lag several hours behind daily temperature maxima. Rain events produce hydrograph anomalies and act to flush sediment, elevating suspended loads, while diluting dissolved loads. These data suggest that rock-glacier hydrological systems are more responsive to short-term and transient meteorological conditions than previously suggested in the literature. Nonetheless, the data indicate that the Hilda rock glacier is more conservative in both water and sediment yield than glacier systems of comparable size and in the same environment.     

The Laguna de Mar Chiquita (Córdoba,Argentina): A little known,secularly fluctuating,saline lake

Although the Laguna de Mar Chiquita is among the largest saline lakes of the world (2,000–6,000 km² area), knowledge about it is scarce. Like other large salt lakes, Mar Chiquita undergoes strong inter-annual changes in water level that are primarily linked to the variable expression of three different types of climate throughout its extensive catchment area. Water-level fluctuations and their overall environmental influence, especially on salinity (25–360 g L^–1) and biota, have significant results. Comparison of Mar Chiquita with other fluctuating large salt lakes shows an independent long-term pattern of water-level (and salinity) changes. Primary determinants of its limnology are (1) its extensive catchment, (2) the occurrence of three different types of climate on the catchment, (3) the shallowness of the basin and (4) the effects of strong wind, water circulation within the lake, and sediment inputs from rivers. The effects of fluctuation on the lake biota are more evident at the level of dominant organisms at every fluctuation stage and their functions than in overall biodiversity and food-web complexity.     

The geomorphic function and characteristics of large woody debris in low gradient rivers, coastal Maine, USA

The role, function, and importance of large woody debris (LWD) in rivers depend strongly on environmental context and land use history. The coastal watersheds of central and northern Maine, northeastern U.S., are characterized by low gradients, moderate topography, and minimal influence of mass wasting processes, along with a history of intensive commercial timber harvest. In spite of the ecological importance of these rivers, which contain the last wild populations of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in the U.S., we know little about LWD distribution, dynamics, and function in these systems. We conducted a cross-basin analysis in seven coastal Maine watersheds, documenting the size, frequency, volume, position, and orientation of LWD, as well as the association between LWD, pool formation, and sediment storage. In conjunction with these LWD surveys, we conducted extensive riparian vegetation surveys. We observed very low LWD frequencies and volumes across the 60 km of rivers surveyed. Frequency of LWD ≥ 20 cm diameter ranged from 15–50 pieces km^− 1 and wood volumes were commonly < 10–20 m³ km^− 1. Moreover, most of this wood was located in the immediate low-flow channel zone, was oriented parallel to flow, and failed to span the stream channel. As a result, pool formation associated with LWD is generally lacking and < 20% of the wood was associated with sediment storage. Low LWD volumes are consistent with the relatively young riparian stands we observed, with the large majority of trees < 20 cm DBH. These results strongly reflect the legacy of intensive timber harvest and land clearing and suggest that the frequency and distribution of LWD may be considerably less than presettlement and/or future desired conditions.     

Seasonal variations of sediment discharge from the Yangtze River before and after impoundment of the Three Gorges Dam

Over the past decades, > 50,000 dams and reforestation on the Yangtze River (Changjiang) have had little impact on water discharge but have drastically altered annual and particularly seasonal sediment discharge. Before impoundment of the Three Gorges Dam (TGD) in June 2003, annual sediment discharge had decreased by 60%, and the hysteresis of seasonal rating curves in the upper reaches at Yichang station had shifted from clockwise to counterclockwise. In addition, the river channel in middle-lower reaches had changed from depositional to erosional in 2002.During the four years (2003–2006) after TGD impoundment, ~ 60% of sediment entering the Three Gorges Reservoir was trapped, primarily during the high-discharge months (June–September). Although periodic sediment deposition continues downstream of the TGD, during most months substantial erosion has occurred, supplying ~ 70 million tons per year (Mt/y) of channel-derived sediment to the lower reaches of the river. If sand extraction (~ 40 Mt/y) is taken into consideration, the river channel loses a total of 110 Mt/y. During the extreme drought year 2006, sediment discharge in the upper reaches drastically decreased to 9 Mt (only 2% of its 1950–1960s level) because of decreased water discharge and TGD trapping. In addition, Dongting Lake in the middle reaches, for the first time, changed from trapping net sediment from the mainstem to supplying 14 Mt net sediment to the mainstem. Severe channel erosion and drastic sediment decline have put considerable pressure on the Yangtze coastal areas and East China Sea.     

The role of channel and floodplain storage in the suspended sediment budget of the River Ouse, Yorkshire, UK

This study attempts to quantify the amount of fine-grained (ca. < 150 μm) sediment stored on the floodplains and on the channel bed of the non-tidal sections of the main channels in the catchment of the River Ouse (3315 km²) and of one of its tributaries, the River Waarfe (818 km²), in Yorkshire, UK. Caesium-137 analyses of floodplain sediment cores were used to quantify the amount of Iloodplain deposition as a result of overbank flooding during the last ca. 40 years. A combination of bulk and sectioned cores were collected along transects perpendicular to the channel at 26 sites throughout the study basins. In general, rates of overbank sedimentation decrease with distance from the channel. The average values for individual transects range between 0.010 and 0.554 g cm⁻² year⁻¹. Floodplain storage along the main channels of the Ouse and Wharfe basins accounts for 60645 and 10325 t year⁻¹, respectively, and represents a net loss from the system. The amount of fine-grained sediment stored on the channel bed was estimated by a survey undertaken in August 1996, during which the fine material deposited on the bed was resuspended and its mass estimated at 16 locations. The average values for the individual locations range between 0.017 and 0.924 g cm⁻² and tend to increase downstream. The total channel bed storage at the time of sampling in 1996 was estimated to be 16076 and 1866 t for the Ouse and Wharfe basins, respectively. It is assumed that channel bed storage is seasonal and that no net loss to the system occurs at the annual timescale. Floodplain storage for the Ouse and Wharfe basins represents 39 and 49%, and channel bed storage equals 10 and 9%, respectively, of the annual suspended sediment load (1995–1996) delivered to the channel system. These results have important implications for the routing of fine-grained sediment and sediment-associated contaminants in drainage basins, and for the interpretation of downstream sediment yields in terms of upstream sediment mobilisation.     

Sediment budget analysis of slope–channel coupling and in-channel sediment storage in an upland catchment, southeastern Australia

Slope–channel coupling and in-channel sediment storage can be important factors that influence sediment delivery through catchments. Sediment budgets offer an appropriate means to assess the role of these factors by quantifying the various components in the catchment sediment transfer system. In this study a fine (< 63 µm) sediment budget was developed for a 1.64-km² gullied upland catchment in southeastern Australia. A process-based approach was adopted that involved detailed monitoring of hillslope and bank erosion, channel change, and suspended sediment output in conjunction with USLE-based hillslope erosion estimation and sediment source tracing using ¹³⁷Cs and ²¹⁰Pb_ex. The sediment budget developed from these datasets indicated channel banks accounted for an estimated 80% of total sediment inputs. Valley floor and in-channel sediment storage accounted for 53% of inputs, with the remaining 47% being discharged from the catchment outlet. Estimated hillslope sediment input to channels was low (5.7 t) for the study period compared to channel bank input (41.6 t). However an estimated 56% of eroded hillslope sediment reached channels, suggesting a greater level of coupling between the two subsystems than was apparent from comparison of sediment source inputs. Evidently the interpretation of variability in catchment sediment yield is largely dependent on the dynamics of sediment supply and storage in channels in response to patterns of rainfall and discharge. This was reflected in the sediment delivery ratios (SDR) for individual measurement intervals, which ranged from 1 to 153%. Bank sediment supply during low rainfall periods was reduced but ongoing from subaerial processes delivering sediment to channels, resulting in net accumulation on the channel bed with insufficient flow to transport this material to the catchment outlet. Following the higher flow period in spring of the first year of monitoring, the sediment supplied to channels during this interval was removed as well as an estimated 72% of the sediment accumulated on the channel bed since the start of the study period. Given the seasonal and drought-dependent variability in storage and delivery, the period of monitoring may have an important influence on the overall SDR. On the basis of these findings, this study highlights the potential importance of sediment dynamics in channels for determining contemporary sediment yields from small gullied upland catchments in southeastern Australia.     

黄河中游支流悬移质粒度与含沙量、流量间的复杂关系

本文以黄河中游若干支流为例,研究了宽变幅水沙两相流河流悬移质泥沙的粒度特征。结果表明,宽变幅水沙两相流河流的悬移质泥沙粒度特征与含沙量、流量之间具有复杂的关系。就同一站点而言,随着含沙量和流量的增大,大于0.05mm的粗颗粒泥沙的百分比迅速减小,并达到最小值;当含沙量和流量进一步增大时,其百分比又迅速增大,表现出明显的双值关系。对于小于0.01mm细泥沙而言,情形正好相反。黄河中游不同的支流之间,悬移质泥沙粒度特征与年均含沙量的关系也是复杂的。这些变化图形可以用非高含沙水流与高含沙水流不同的物理力学行为来解释     

长江口水沙入海通量的观测与分析

在长江口用声学多普勒流速剖面仪（ADCP）进行走航式断面观测,结果表明,采集水样获取的悬沙浓度与ADCP记录的声学信号（后向散射强度）之间存在显著相关关系,因此可据ADCP声学数据获得沿观测断面的高时空分辨率的悬沙浓度剖面。分析结果表明．在徐六泾附近断面以往复流占优势．大潮期间单位时间最大水、悬沙通量值出现于涨潮期．落潮历时较长．落潮期水、悬沙通量分别大于涨潮期水、悬沙通量,净通量向海。长江口南槽拦门沙外侧主要为旋转流．涨潮期间内的水、悬沙通量均分别大于落潮期间的水、悬沙通量。2003年11月12日的观测结果表明．潮周期内通过徐六泾断面向海输运的水与悬沙通量分别为10^9m^3和10^8kg量级：径流量与悬沙输运率分别为10^4m^3／s和10^3kg／s量级。1998年以来徐六泾ADCP流量观测数据与同时间的大通径流量之间存在着显著的相关关系．故可由大通径流量估算徐六泾径流量。作为长江人海径流量．以作为历史资料整编的一种手段。结果表明,长江人海年径流总量略大于大通年径流总量：而在枯水期间人海径流量小于大通径流量。     

A sediment budget for a grazed semi-arid catchment in the Burdekin basin, Australia

In catchments adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area in Queensland, Australia, there is a growing concern that sediments and nutrients being exported from the land are having a detrimental effect on coral reef communities. There is a need to determine the processes and rates of erosion from the major land use types, so that management intervention can be initiated to reduce sediment yields where required. This paper presents a sediment budget for Weany Creek, a 13.5 km² grazed semi-arid sub-catchment of the Burdekin River catchment, Australia. A range of field methods was used to measure erosion from hillslopes, gullies and stream banks, as well as identify the amount of sediment being deposited and remobilised on the bed of gullies and the stream network. The data suggests that at least during drought conditions, the primary erosion source in this catchment is gully erosion. However, the largest source of sediment in the budget is actually associated with the remobilisation of in-channel sediment stores. Overall, the sediment budget is comprised of  81% coarse material and 19% fine sediment and an agreement between the fine sediment yield estimated in the sediment budget and the yield measured at the catchment outlet is within 10%. The total sediment yield estimated for this catchment is  4205 t yr^− 1 and is much lower than expected for a catchment of this size. This may reflect the drought conditions during the measurement period; however, there is also the possibility that the primary erosion sources have been exhausted, and the rates of sediment loss may be much lower now than they may have been in the past. Nonetheless, the results show that stored sediment, which may have been deposited in the channel many decades ago, is an important contributor to end of catchment sediment yields and warrants further investigation.     

Environmental factors controlling spatial variation in sediment yield in a central Andean mountain area

A large spatial variability in sediment yield was observed from small streams in the Ecuadorian Andes. The objective of this study was to analyze the environmental factors controlling these variations in sediment yield in the Paute basin, Ecuador. Sediment yield data were calculated based on sediment volumes accumulated behind checkdams for 37 small catchments. Mean annual specific sediment yield (SSY) shows a large spatial variability and ranges between 26 and 15,100 Mg km^− 2 year^− 1. Mean vegetation cover (C, fraction) in the catchment, i.e. the plant cover at or near the surface, exerts a first order control on sediment yield. The fractional vegetation cover alone explains 57% of the observed variance in ln(SSY). The negative exponential relation (SSY = a × e^{−b C}) which was found between vegetation cover and sediment yield at the catchment scale (10³–10⁹ m²), is very similar to the equations derived from splash, interrill and rill erosion experiments at the plot scale (1–10³ m²). This affirms the general character of an exponential decrease of sediment yield with increasing vegetation cover at a wide range of spatial scales, provided the distribution of cover can be considered to be essentially random. Lithology also significantly affects the sediment yield, and explains an additional 23% of the observed variance in ln(SSY). Based on these two catchment parameters, a multiple regression model was built. This empirical regression model already explains more than 75% of the total variance in the mean annual sediment yield. These results highlight the large potential of revegetation programs for controlling sediment yield. They show that a slight increase in the overall fractional vegetation cover of degraded land is likely to have a large effect on sediment production and delivery. Moreover, they point to the importance of detailed surface vegetation data for predicting and modeling sediment production rates.     

Holocene sediment budgets in two river catchments in the Southern Upper Rhine Valley, Germany

The Holocene sediments of two catchments in the southern Upper Rhine valley have been quantified as part of the German LUCIFS Programme (RheinLUCIFS), which aims to quantify sediment fluxes in the Rhine catchment since the onset of agriculture in the Neolithic about 7500 years ago.The spatial distribution of the alluvial and colluvial sediments was derived using geological maps, with information on the thickness of these sediments from various sources including auger profiles and data from excavations. The sediments were subdivided into characteristic sedimentary storage types according to the different types of landscapes. For each of the sedimentary storage types an average thickness was assessed so that an integral sediment balance for the Holocene could be derived.For the different types of landscapes in the study area, 32 Holocene sedimentary storage types were determined, 21 in the Elz catchment (1500 km²) and 11 in the Möhlin catchment (230 km²). By adding up the sediment volumes of all single sedimentary storage types the total Holocene sediment volumes for the two catchments were calculated. Erosion depths were determined by dividing the sediment volumes through the potential erosion areas (slope > 2%) and by assuming a sediment delivery ratio (SDR) between 0 and 0.4. The total erosion for the potential erosion areas during the Holocene was calculated as 31–61 cm in the Elz catchment and 44–79 cm in the Möhlin catchment.     

Predicting sediment inputs to aquatic ecosystems across England and Wales under current environmental conditions

The awareness of water quality issues has never been higher. As part of its continuing strategic diffuse pollution policy support, ADAS recently undertook to identify catchments across England and Wales that could potentially fail recently proposed suspended sediment yield targets under current environmental conditions. The total suspended sediment loads (SSL) delivered to all rivers were assumed to comprise contributions from diffuse sources in the agricultural and urban sectors, as well as from eroding channel banks and point sources represented by sewage treatment works (STWs). Diffuse agricultural sediment loss to rivers was predicted using the PSYCHIC model. Corresponding inputs from diffuse urban sources were estimated on the basis of an Event Mean Concentration (EMC) methodology. Channel bank sediment inputs were calculated using a prototype national scale model, while point source sediment contributions were based on a register of consented effluent discharges. Modelled SSL were validated (r²=68%) against PARCOM data (1999–2003) for the delivery of sediment to different regions of the UK maritime area. The results of the validation were considered to be realistic for a national scale predictor. The modelling exercise suggested that those catchments currently at risk of exceeding proposed suspended sediment yield critical thresholds are largely confined to upland areas across Wales and northwest England and the chalklands of southern and eastern England.     

Dust emission by off-road driving: Experiments on 17 arid soil types, Nevada, USA

Field experiments were conducted in Nellis Dunes Recreational Area (Clark County, Nevada, USA) to investigate emission of dust produced by off-road driving. Experiments were carried out with three types of vehicles: 4-wheelers (quads), dirt bikes (motorcycles) and dune buggies, on 17 soil types characteristic for a desert environment. Tests were done at various driving speeds, and emissions were measured for a large number of grain size fractions. This paper reports the results for two size fractions of emissions: PM10 (particles < 10 μm) and PM60 (particles < 60 μm). The latter was considered in this study to be sufficiently representative of the total suspendable fraction (TSP). Off-road driving was found to be a significant source of dust. However, the amounts varied greatly with the type of soil and the characteristics of the top layer. Models predicting emission of dust by off-road driving should thus consider a number of soil parameters and not just one key parameter. Vehicle type and driving speed are additional parameters that affect emission. In general, 4-wheelers produce more dust than dune buggies, and dune buggies, more than dirt bikes. Higher speeds also result in higher emissions. Dust emitted by off-road driving is less coarse than the parent sediment on the road surface. Off-road driving thus results in a progressive coarsening of the top layer. Exceptions to this are silty surfaces with no, or almost no, vegetation. For such surfaces no substantial differences were observed between the grain size distribution of road dust and emitted dust. Typical emission values for off-road driving on dry desert soils are: for sandy areas, 30–40 g km^− 1 (PM10) and 150–250 g km^− 1 (TSP); for silty areas, 100–200 g km^− 1 (PM10) and 600–2000 g km^− 1 (TSP); for drainages, 30–40 g km^− 1 (PM10) and 100–400 g km^− 1 (TSP); and for mixed terrain, 60–100 g km^− 1 (PM10) and 300–800 g km^− 1 (TSP). These values are for the types of vehicles tested in this study and do not refer to cars or trucks, which produce significantly more dust.     

SUSPENDED SEDIMENT DYNAMICS IN THE MORTERATSCH PRO‐GLACIAL ZONE,BERNINA ALPS,SWITZERLAND

Suspended sediment concentration (SSC) in the Ova da Morteratsch, Switzerland, measured during July 2007 was closely associated with discharge (Q) and showed statistically significant relationships at the p < 0.001 level at the proximal and distal ends of the 600 m pro‐glacial zone. SSC predicted from 10‐minute turbidity records gives a much more detailed insight into SSC fluctuations and identified SSC peaks which do not coincide with discharge peaks. Net (proximal – distal) 10‐minute suspended sediment loads (SSL) are predominantly positive (i.e. suspended sediment is being stored in the reach) for most of the 7–19 July 2007 record. Net (proximal – distal) SSLs correlate closely with discharge for the first part of the record (7–13 July) but from 14 to 19 July suspended sediment exhaustion is in evidence and discrete phases of negative net SSL (i.e. sediment flushing) are likely for up to six hours on three separate days which coincide with phases of high discharge and exhaustion of the glacial suspended sediment sources. Analysis of Q at the Berninabach–Pontresina gauging station (5 km downstream) for the past five years revealed that maximum monthly discharges capable of generating sediment flushing events occur in an average of four months each year. The study emphasises the rapid change in suspended sediment transport and yields with distance from the glacier snout and highlights the importance of measurements as close to the glacier snout as possible if data are to be representative of the glaciated land up‐valley. A better understanding of the processes of sediment exchange and the colonisation and stabilisation of sediment stores by vegetation in such pro‐glacial zones is essential if we are to improve predictions of the impacts of climate change on river sediment dynamics and the subsequent effects on aquatic ecology.     

Sedimentary impacts from landslides in the Tachia River Basin, Taiwan

A case study of coseismic landslides and post-seismic sedimentary impacts of landslides due to rainfall events was conducted in the Tachia River basin, Taichung County, central Taiwan. About 3000 coseismic landslides occurred in the basin during the M_L 7.3 Chi-Chi earthquake in 1999. The deposits from these landslides provided material for numerous debris flows induced by subsequent rainfall events. The estimated 4.1 × 10⁷ m³ of landslide debris produced in the upland area caused sediment deposition in riverbeds, and flash floods inundated downstream areas with sediment during torrential rains. The landslide frequency-size distributions for the coseismic landslides and the subsequent rainfall-induced landslides were analyzed to determine the sediment budgets of the post-seismic geomorphic response in the landslide-dominated basin. Both the coseismic and the rainfall-induced landslides show a power–law frequency-size distribution with a rollover. It was found that the rainfall-induced landslide magnitude was smaller than the coseismic one, and that both have comparable negative scaling exponents in cumulative form, of about − 2.0 for larger landslides (> 10^− 2 km²). This may be attributed to ongoing movement or reactivation of old landslides, and a natural stabilisation of small landslides between 10^− 4 and 10^− 2 km². It is proposed that the characteristics of geological formations and rainfall as well as changes in landslide area are reflected in the power–law distribution.     

两种自动基流分割方法在干旱半干旱地区的对比研究

基流是河川径流的重要组成部分。在干旱半干旱地区,基流对于维持水源的稳定性及持续性、确定河流生态需水等方面具有重要作用。因此,基流分割结果的准确性至关重要。本文以黄河流域上游小流域为研究区,分别使用滑动最小值法和数字滤波法对典型年进行基流分割,然后用数字滤波法对1980-2014年日均径流进行基流分割,并分析基流的变化趋势。研究表明,数字滤波法在干旱半干旱地区具有较好的应用效果,滑动最小值法分割的基流结果偏小;在特定研究区的参数难以确定时,应结合两种方法的优点确定最佳的基流分割方案。研究区1980-2014年的平均基流指数为0.69,高于全国平均值0.26、西北诸河区的0.57及黄河区的0.43;趋势分析显示,研究区的年径流、基流、BFI的增长幅度分别为0.086 (m³/s)/10a、0.169 (m³/s)/10a、0.038/10a。MK趋势检验结果显示,年径流未通过10%的显著性检验,增长趋势不明显;基流和BFI分别通过了2.5%和1%的显著性检验,增长趋势显著。