Modelling of sediment dynamics in a laboratory‐scale experimental catchment

The variability of hillslope form and function is examined experimentally using a simple model catchment in which most landscape development parameters are either known or controlled. It is demonstrated that there is considerable variability in sediment output from similar catchments, subjected to the same hydrological processes, and for which the initial hillslope profiles are the same. The results demonstrate that, in the case of catchments with a linear initial hillslope profile, the sediment output is initially high but reduces through time, whereas for a concave initial profile the sediment output was smaller and relatively constant. Concave hillslope profiles also displayed reduced sediment output when compared with linear slopes with the same overall slope. Using this experimental model catchment data, the SIBERIA landscape evolution model was tested for its ability to predict temporal sediment transport. When calibrated for the rainfall and erodible material, SIBERIA is able to simulate mean temporal sediment output for the experimental catchment over a range of hillslope profiles and rainfall intensities. SIBERIA is also able to match the hillslope profile of the experimental catchments. The results of the study provide confidence in the ability of SIBERIA to predict temporal sediment output. The experimental and modelling data also demonstrate that, even with all geomorphic and hydrological variables being known and/or controlled, there is still a need for long‐term stream gauging to obtain reliable assessments of field catchment hydrology and sediment transport. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Runoff and sediment loss responses to rainfall and land use in two agricultural catchments on the Loess Plateau of China

Soil erosion is a severe problem hindering sustainable agriculture on the Loess Plateau of China. Plot experiments were conducted under the natural rainfall condition during 1995–1997 at Wangdongguo and Aobao catchments in this region to evaluate the effects of various land use, cropping systems, land slopes and rainfall on runoff and sediment losses, as well as the differences in catchment responses. The experiments included various surface conditions ranging from bare soil to vegetated surfaces (maize, wheat residue, Robinia pseudoacacia L., Amorpha fruticosa L., Stipa capillata L., buckwheat and Astragarus adsurgens L.). The measurements were carried out on hill slopes with different gradients (i.e. 0 ° to 36 °). These plots varied from 20 to 60 m in length. Results indicated that runoff and erosion in this region occurred mainly during summer storms. Summer runoff and sediment losses under cropping and other vegetation were significantly less than those from ploughed bare soil (i.e. without crop/plant or crop residue). There were fewer runoff and sediment losses with increasing canopy cover. Land slope had a major effect on runoff and sediment losses and this effect was markedly larger in the tillage plots than that in the natural grass and forest plots, although this effect was very small when the maximum rainfall intensity was larger than 58·8 mm/h or smaller than 2·4 mm/h. Sediment losses per unit area rose with increasing slope length for the same land slope and same land use. The effect of slope length on sediment losses was stronger on a bare soil plot than on a crop/plant plot. The runoff volume and sediment losses were both closely related to rainfall volume and maximum intensity, while runoff coefficient was mainly controlled by maximum rainfall intensity. Hortonian overland flow is the dominant runoff process in the region. The differences in runoff volume, runoff coefficient and sediment losses between the catchments are mainly controlled by the maximum rainfall intensity and infiltration characteristics. The Aobao catchment yielded much larger runoff volume, runoff coefficient and sediment than the Wangdongguo catchment. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Spatial patterns of suspended sediment yields in a humid tropical watershed in Costa Rica

An Erratum has been published for this article in Hydrological Processes 16(5) 2002, 1130–1131. Humid tropical regions are often characterized by extreme variability of fluvial processes. The Rio Terraba drains the largest river basin, covering 4767 km², in Costa Rica. Mean annual rainfall is 3139±419_sd mm and mean annual discharge is 2168±492_sd mm (1971–88). Loss of forest cover, high rainfall erosivity and geomorphologic instability all have led to considerable degradation of soil and water resources at local to basin scales. Parametric and non‐parametric statistical methods were used to estimate sediment yields. In the Terraba basin, sediment yields per unit area increase from the headwaters to the basin mouth, and the trend is generally robust towards choice of methods (parametric and LOESS) used. This is in contrast to a general view that deposition typically exceeds sediment delivery with increase in basin size. The specific sediment yield increases from 112±11·4_sd t km^?2 year^?1 (at 317·9 km² on a major headwater tributary) to 404±141·7_sd t km^?2 year^?1 (at 4766·7 km²) at the basin mouth (1971–92). The analyses of relationships between sediment yields and basin parameters for the Terraba sub‐basins and for a total of 29 basins all over Costa Rica indicate a strong land use effect related to intensive agriculture besides hydro‐climatology. The best explanation for the observed pattern in the Terraba basin is a combined spatial pattern of land use and rainfall erosivity. These were integrated in a soil erosion index that is related to the observed patterns of sediment yield. Estimated sediment delivery ratios increase with basin area. Intensive agriculture in lower‐lying alluvial fans exposed to highly erosive rainfall contributes a large part of the sediment load. The higher elevation regions, although steep in slope, largely remain under forest, pasture, or tree‐crops. High rainfall erosivity (>7400 MJ mm ha^?1 h^?1 year ^?1) is associated with land uses that provide inadequate soil protection. It is also associated with steep, unstable slopes near the basin mouth. Improvements in land use and soil management in the lower‐lying regions exposed to highly erosive rainfall are recommended, and are especially important to basins in which sediment delivery ratio increases downstream with increasing basin area. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Suspended sediment and phosphorus in proglacial rivers: bioavailability and potential impacts upon the P status of ice‐marginal receiving waters

This paper adopts standard tests developed in temperate catchment research to determine the total phosphorus (TP) and the algal available (base‐extractable) phosphorus (NaOH–P) content of a wide range of glaciofluvial sediments from the Northern Hemisphere. We find that the TP content of these sediments is broadly similar to the P content of major rock types in Earth's crust (230–670 µgP/g) and so the TP yields of glacier basins may be high owing to the efficacy of suspended sediment evacuation by glacial meltwaters. We show that this is best achieved where subglacial drainage systems are present. The NaOH–P pool of the sediments is found to be low (1–23 µgP/g) relative to the TP pool and also to the NaOH–P pool of suspended sediments in temperate, non‐glacierized catchments. This most probably reflects the restricted duration of intimate contact between dilute meltwaters and glacial suspended sediments during the ablation season. Thus, despite the high surface‐area:volume ratio of glacial suspended sediments, the potential for P adsorption to mineral surfaces following release by dissolution is also low. Further, sorption experiments and sequential extraction tests conducted using glacial suspended sediments from two Svalbard catchments indicate that the generation of reactive secondary minerals (e.g. Fe‐ and other hydroxides) with a strong capacity to scavenge P from solution (and thereby promote the continued dissolution of P) may also be limited by the short residence times. Most P is therefore associated with poorly weathered, calcite/apatite‐rich mineral phases. However, we use examples from the Svalbard glacier basins (Austre Brøggerbreen and Midre Lovénbreen) to show that the high sediment yields of glaciers may result in appreciable NaOH–P loading of ice‐marginal receiving waters. Again, the importance of subglacial drainage is highlighted, as it produces a major, episodic release of NaOH–P at Midre Lovénbreen that results in a yield (8·2 kg NaOH–P/km²/year) more than one order of magnitude greater than that at Austre Brøggerbreen (where subglacial drainage is absent and the yield is 0·48 kg NaOH‐P/km²/year). Therefore, as since both detrimental and beneficial effects of sediment‐bound P loading in ice marginal receiving waters are possible (i.e. either reduced primary productivity owing to increased turbidity or P fertilization following desorption) there is a pressing need to assess the ambient P status of such environments and also the capacity for ice‐marginal ecosystems to adapt to such inputs. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Importance of soil surface characteristics on water erosion in a small grazed Sahelian catchment

This study concerns the problem of water erosion in the Sahel. Surface water and sediment yields (suspended matter and bedload) were monitored for 3 years (1998–2000) at the outlet of a small grazed catchment (1·4 ha) in the northern part of Burkina Faso. The catchment consists of about 64% sandy deposits (DRY soil surface type), which support most of the vegetation, and about 34% of crusted bare soils (ERO soil surface type). The annual solid‐matter export is more than 90% suspended sediment, varying between 4·0 and 8·4 t ha^?1. The bedload represents less than 10% of soil losses. In a single flood event (10 year return period), the sediment yield can reach 4·2 t ha^?1. During the period studied, a small proportion (20 to 32%) of the floods was thus responsible for a large proportion (80%) of the solid transport. Seasonal variation of the suspended‐matter content was also observed: high mean values (9 g l^?1) in June, decreasing in July and stabilizing in August (between 2 and 4 g l^?1). This behaviour may be a consequence of a reorganization of the soil surfaces that have been destroyed by trampling animals during the previous long dry season, vegetation growth (increase in the protecting effect of the herbaceous cover) and, to a lesser extent, particle‐supply limitation (exhaustion of dust deposits during July). The particle‐size distribution in the suspended matter collected at the catchment outlet is 60% made up of clay: fraction ≤2 µ m. The contribution of this clay is maximum when the water rises and its kaolinite/quartz ratio is then close to that of the ERO‐type surfaces. This indicates that these surfaces are the main source of clay within the catchment. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Short‐term spatial and temporal patterns of suspended sediment transfer in proglacial channels,small River Glacier,Canada

Alpine glacial basins are a significant source and storage area for sediment exposed by glacial retreat. Recent research has indicated that short‐term storage and release of sediment in proglacial channels may control the pattern of suspended sediment transfer from these basins. Custom‐built continuously recording turbidimeters installed on a network of nine gauging sites were used to characterize spatial and temporal variability in suspended sediment transfer patterns for the entire proglacial area at Small River Glacier, British Columbia, Canada. Discharge and suspended sediment concentration were measured at 5 min intervals over the ablation season of 2000. Differences in suspended sediment transfer patterns were then extracted using multivariate statistics (principal component and cluster analysis). Results showed that each gauging station was dominated c. 80% of days by diurnal sediment transfer patterns and ‘low’ suspended sediment concentrations. ‘Irregular’ transfer patterns were generally associated with ‘high’ sediment concentrations during snowmelt and rainfall events, resulting in the transfer of up to 70% of the total seasonal suspended sediment load at some gauging stations. Suspended sediment enrichment of up to 600% from channel storage release and extrachannel inputs occurred between the glacial front and distal proglacial boundary. However, these patterns differed significantly between gauging stations as determined by the location of the gauging station within the catchment and meteorological conditions. Overall, the proglacial area was the source for up to 80% of the total suspended sediment yield transferred from the Small River Glacier basin. These results confirmed that sediment stored and released in the proglacial area, in particular from proglacial channels, was controlling suspended sediment transfer patterns. To characterize this control accurately requires multiple gauging stations with high frequency monitoring of suspended sediment concentration. Accurate characterization of this proglacial control on suspended sediment transfer may therefore aid interpretation of suspended sediment yield patterns from glacierized basins. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The role of current velocity in structuring eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) meadows

Measurements of velocity profiles, bathymetry, and surface sediment characteristics across eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) meadows yielded information on community development processes and functional attributes of this ecosystem. Height/length ratios of the meadows were positively correlated with tidal current velocity. Low, medium, and high current regimes were separated by surface current velocities of approximately 50 and 90 cm s^?1. Z. marina can tolerate approximately 120–150 cm/sec current velocities in the areas studied. Per cent silt-clay and organic matter content of the surface sediments are negatively associated with shear velocity, suggesting that meadows in high current areas are sources while meadows in low current areas are sinks of autochthonous detritus. Current velocity maintains seagrass meadows at different equilibrium levels (relative climaxes). We theorize these different equilibrium levels provide unequal habitat utilization potentials for the associated faunal community.     

Reduced rates of primary production in the Columbia River Estuary following the eruption of Mt Saint Helens on 18 May 1980

The eruption of Mt Saint Helens on 18 May 1980 resulted in a massive increase in suspended particulate material in the Columbia River Estuary, producing a substantial increase in light attenuation. Since photosynthesis in the estuarine water column is partly controlled by the depth of light penetration in the water, photosynthesis was reduced by about 75% during the period of increased turbidity. It took about five weeks for the estuary to clear. Although primary production within the estuarine water column was greatly diminished during this period, the flux of particulate carbon through the estuary was high, and the total production we estimate to have been lost amounted to only about 2% of the total particulate carbon flux just after the eruption. That the high levels of turbidity in the estuary did not induce a severe fall in the phytoplankton population is evidence that phytoplankton biomass concentrations in the Columbia River Estuary are mostly a function of import from the Columbia River, rather than a function of in situ production.     

黄河下游泥沙输移数值模拟

本文从数学模型入手,探讨黄河下游在多年平均来水来沙条件下,泥沙输移与泥沙淤积的特性,得出黄河下游泥沙沿程淤积分布不均匀主要是由于粗沙、中沙沿程淤积不均匀造成的,如果使来沙减少42.6%,黄河下游可望达到冲淤平衡.     

Beach sediment temperature variations through depth and time

Data obtained from a site at mean tide level on Belfast Lough, Northern Ireland, show temperature fluctuations on various timescales. Hourly means differ markedly from month to month but are similar for different depths during the same month. The short-term temperature fluctuations recorded at the surface are largely dissipated at a sediment depth of 20 cm with the proportion of total flux occurring at any depth remaining similar irrespective of the absolute temperature range. It is suggested that temperature flux ratios may provide an objective in situ assessment of beach exposure and/or water flow through sediments. A plea for a standardized methodology is made.