scholarly journals Suspended sediment and discharge dynamics in a glacierized alpine environment: Identifying crucial areas and time periods on several spatial and temporal scales in the Ötztal, Austria

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lena Katharina Schmidt ◽  
Till Francke ◽  
Erwin Rottler ◽  
Theresa Blume ◽  
Johannes Schöber ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Snow Cover ◽  
Suspended Sediment ◽  
Sediment Dynamics ◽  
Recent Sediment ◽  
Mass Balances ◽  
Temporal Scales ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Scales ◽  
Sediment Yields ◽  
Sediment Fluxes ◽  
Precipitation Events

Abstract. Climatic changes are expected to fundamentally alter discharge and sediment dynamics in glaciated high alpine areas, e.g. through glacier retreat, prolonged snow-free periods and more frequent intense rainfall events in summer. However, how exactly these hydrological changes will affect sediment dynamics is not yet known. In the present study, we aim to pinpoint areas and processes most relevant to recent sediment and discharge dynamics on different spatial and temporal scales in the Ötztal Alpine Region in Tyrol, Austria. Therefore, we analyze observed discharge and relatively long suspended sediment time series of up to 15 years from three gauges in a nested catchment setup. The catchments range from 100 to almost 800 km2 in size with 10 to 30 % glacier cover and span an elevation range of 930 to 3772 m a.s.l.. The investigation of satellite-based snow cover maps, glacier inventories, mass balances and precipitation data complement the analysis. Our results indicate that mean annual specific discharge and suspended sediment fluxes are highest in the most glaciated sub-catchment and both fluxes correlate significantly with annual glacier mass balances. Furthermore, both discharge and suspended sediment loads show a distinct seasonality with low values during winter and high values during summer. However, the spring onset of sediment transport is almost synchronous at the three gauges, contrary to the spring rise in discharge, which occurs earlier further downstream. A spatio-temporal analysis of snow cover evolution indicates that the spring increase in sediment fluxes at all gauges coincides with the onset of snow melt above 2500 m elevation. Zones above this elevation include glacier tongues and recently deglaciated areas, which seem to be crucial for the sediment dynamics in the catchment. Precipitation events in summer were associated with peak sediment concentrations and fluxes, but on average accounted for only 21 % of the annual sediment yields of the years 2011 to 2020. We conclude that glaciers and the areas above 2500 m elevation play a dominant role for discharge and sediment dynamics in the Ötztal area, while precipitation events play a secondary role. Our study extends the scientific knowledge on current hydro-sedimentological changes in glaciated high alpine areas and provides a baseline for investigations on projected future changes in hydro-sedimentological system dynamics.

Suspended sediment and discharge dynamics across multiple spatial and temporal scales in a glaciated alpine environment: the case of the upper Ötztal, Austria

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lena Katharina Schmidt ◽  
Till Francke ◽  
Theresa Blume ◽  
Johannes Schöber ◽  
Daniel Pfurtscheller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Suspended Sediment ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Transient State ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Scales ◽  
Sediment Yields ◽  
Catchment Areas ◽  
Suspended Sediment Concentrations ◽  
Alpine Catchments

<p>High alpine areas are affected disproportionately by global warming and are thus found to be in a transient state. This causes accelerating glacial retreat, which can have severe impacts on discharge and potentially sediment dynamics. Possible effects include changes in water quantities and hydrograph timing as well as changing sediment source areas and the associated magnitude and timing of transport capacities. In turn, the resulting changes in water and sediment supplies and timing have the potential to severely impact downstream ecosystems and infrastructure.</p><p>An essential step towards estimating the effects of future changes and developing sustainable management strategies is to quantify the behavior in the past and present. We therefore used the excellent data availability of discharge and suspended sediment concentrations in our study area in the upper Ötztal in Tyrol, Austria, to make such an assessment. We study discharge and suspended sediment concentrations, which have been monitored at three gauges and for a minimum of seven years in the case of the youngest gauge. The resulting nested catchment setup, with catchment sizes ranging between 98 km² and 785 km², allows us to learn about discharge and sediment fluxes and their spatial distribution, thus allowing us to quantify the relative importance of the glaciated areas as compared to the lower-lying catchment areas. It also allows us to study the temporal dynamics, such as the seasonal timing of the peaks and their interannual differences. In turn, the nested catchments allows us to investigate the spatial variability of these temporal dynamics.  </p><p>The results confirm the high specific sediment yields for alpine catchments in the order of 10³ t/km² per year and higher yields in areas with higher glacier cover as well as a very pronounced seasonality.</p>

Sediment fluxes and sinks for Magela Creek, Northern Territory, Australia

2018 ◽  
Vol 69 (7) ◽  
pp. 1018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wayne D. Erskine ◽  
M. J. Saynor ◽  
J. M. Boyden ◽  
K. G. Evans
Keyword(s):  
Suspended Sediment ◽  
Sediment Load ◽  
Northern Territory ◽  
Bed Load ◽  
Sediment Yields ◽  
Sediment Fluxes ◽  
Erosion Rates ◽  
Dry Tropics ◽  
The World ◽  
Total Sediment

Sediment fluxes and sinks based on total sediment load for Magela Creek in the Australian wet–dry tropics have been constructed from detailed measurements of stream suspended sediment (turbidity and suspended sand) and bed load for the 10-year period, 2001–2002 to 2010–2011. This work shows that the sediment trap efficiency of the vegetated wetlands on lower Magela is high at ~89.5%. Sediment fluxes are the lowest in the world because of low soil erosion rates and because upstream floodplains and downstream wetlands trap and store sediment. Bedload yields are less than suspended sediment yields, but the amount of silt and clay is much less than the amount of sand (suspended sand and bedload). All sand is stored upstream of the East Alligator River. Downstream connectivity of sediment movement does not occur. Therefore, sediment moves discontinuously from the upper to the lower catchment.

scholarly journals Sub-daily variability of suspended sediment fluxes in small mountainous catchments – implications for community-based river monitoring

2010 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 8233-8263
Author(s):  
C. Duvert ◽  
N. Gratiot ◽  
J. Némery ◽  
A. Burgos ◽  
O. Navratil
Keyword(s):  
Suspended Sediment ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Temporal Variability ◽  
Fine Sediment ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Sediment Yields ◽  
Sediment Fluxes ◽  
Monitoring Strategies ◽  
Mountainous Catchments ◽  
Daily Variability

Abstract. Accurate estimates of suspended sediment yields depend on effective monitoring strategies. In mountainous environments undergoing intense seasonal precipitation, the implementation of such monitoring programs relies primarily on a rigorous study of the temporal variability of fine sediment transport. This investigation focuses on seasonal and short-term sediment variability in a subhumid region of the Mexican Volcanic Belt. Intensive hydrosedimentary monitoring was conducted during one year on four contrasting catchments (3 to 630 km2). Analyses revealed significant temporal variability in suspended sediment export over various time scales, with between 63 and 97% of the annual load exported in as little as 2% of the time. Statistical techniques were used to evaluate the sampling frequency required to get reliable annual sediment yield estimates at the four sites. A bi-daily sampling would be required at the outlet of the 630-km2 catchment, whereas in the three smaller catchments (3–12 km2), the achievement of accurate estimates would inevitably require hourly monitoring. At the larger catchment scale, analysis of the sub-daily variability of fine sediment fluxes showed that the frequency of sampling could be lowered by up to 100% (i.e. from bi-daily to daily) if considering a specific and regular sampling time in the day. In contrast, conducting a similar sampling strategy at the three smaller catchments could lead to serious misinterpretation (i.e. up to 1000% error). Our findings emphasise the importance of an analysis of the sub-daily variability of sediment fluxes in mountainous catchments. Characterising this variability may offer useful insights for improving the effectiveness of community-based monitoring strategies in rural areas of developing countries. In regions where historical records based on discrete sampling are available, it may also help assessing the quality of past flux estimates. Finally, the study confirms the global necessity of acquiring more high frequency data in small mountainous catchments, especially in poorly gauged areas.

scholarly journals Water and sediment fluxes in Mediterranean mountainous regions: comprehensive dataset for hydro-sedimentological analyses and modelling in a mesoscale catchment (River Isábena, NE Spain)

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 1063-1075 ◽  
Author(s):  
Till Francke ◽  
Saskia Foerster ◽  
Arlena Brosinsky ◽  
Erik Sommerer ◽  
Jose A. Lopez-Tarazon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Suspended Sediment ◽  
Meteorological Data ◽  
Sediment Source ◽  
Discharge Data ◽  
Sediment Yields ◽  
Sediment Fluxes ◽  
Mountainous Regions ◽  
Water And Sediment ◽  
Ne Spain ◽  
River Isábena

Abstract. A comprehensive hydro-sedimentological dataset for the Isábena catchment, northeastern (NE) Spain, for the period 2010–2018 is presented to analyse water and sediment fluxes in a Mediterranean mesoscale catchment. The dataset includes rainfall data from 12 rain gauges distributed within the study area complemented by meteorological data of 12 official meteo-stations. It comprises discharge data derived from water stage measurements as well as suspended sediment concentrations (SSCs) at six gauging stations of the River Isábena and its sub-catchments. Soil spectroscopic data from 351 suspended sediment samples and 152 soil samples were collected to characterize sediment source regions and sediment properties via fingerprinting analyses. The Isábena catchment (445 km2) is located in the southern central Pyrenees ranging from 450 m to 2720 m a.s.l.; together with a pronounced topography, this leads to distinct temperature and precipitation gradients. The River Isábena shows marked discharge variations and high sediment yields causing severe siltation problems in the downstream Barasona Reservoir. The main sediment source is badland areas located on Eocene marls that are well connected to the river network. The dataset features a comprehensive set of variables in a high spatial and temporal resolution suitable for the advanced process understanding of water and sediment fluxes, their origin and connectivity and sediment budgeting and for the evaluation and further development of hydro-sedimentological models in Mediterranean mesoscale mountainous catchments. The dataset is available at http://doi.org/10.5880/fidgeo.2018.011.

scholarly journals Sub-daily variability of suspended sediment fluxes in small mountainous catchments &ndash implications for community-based river monitoring

2011 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 703-713 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Duvert ◽  
N. Gratiot ◽  
J. Némery ◽  
A. Burgos ◽  
O. Navratil
Keyword(s):  
Suspended Sediment ◽  
Temporal Variability ◽  
Fine Sediment ◽  
Sediment Flux ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Sediment Yields ◽  
Sediment Fluxes ◽  
Monitoring Strategies ◽  
Mountainous Catchments ◽  
Daily Variability

Abstract. Accurate estimates of suspended sediment yields depend on effective monitoring strategies. In mountainous environments undergoing intense seasonal precipitation, the implementation of such monitoring programs relies primarily on a rigorous study of the temporal variability of fine sediment transport. This investigation focuses on seasonal and short-term variability in suspended sediment flux in a subhumid region of the Mexican Volcanic Belt. Intensive monitoring was conducted during one year in four contrasting catchments (3 to 630 km2). Analyses revealed significant temporal variability in suspended sediment export over various time scales, with between 63 and 97% of the annual load exported in as little as 2% of the time. Statistical techniques were used to evaluate the sampling frequency required to get reliable estimates of annual sediment yield at the four sites. A bi-daily sampling scheme would be required at the outlet of the 630 km2 catchment, whereas in the three smaller catchments (3–12 km2), accurate estimates would inevitably require hourly monitoring. At the larger catchment scale, analysis of the sub-daily variability of fine sediment fluxes showed that the frequency of sampling could be lowered by up to 100% (i.e. from bi-daily to daily) if a specific and regular sampling time in the day was considered. In contrast, conducting a similar sampling strategy at the three smaller catchments could lead to serious misinterpretation (i.e. up to 1000% error). Our findings emphasise the importance of an analysis of the sub-daily variability of sediment fluxes in mountainous catchments. Characterising this variability may offer useful insights for improving the effectiveness of community-based monitoring strategies in rural areas of developing countries. In regions where historical records based on discrete sampling are available, it may also help assessing the quality of past flux estimates. Finally, the study confirms the global necessity of acquiring more high frequency data in small mountainous catchments, especially in poorly gauged areas.

scholarly journals Water and sediment fluxes in Mediterranean mountainous regions: Comprehensive dataset for hydro-sedimentological analyses and modelling in a mesoscale catchment (River Isábena, NE Spain)

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Till Francke ◽  
Saskia Foerster ◽  
Arlena Brosinsky ◽  
Erik Sommerer ◽  
Jose A. Lopez-Tarazon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Suspended Sediment ◽  
Sediment Source ◽  
Discharge Data ◽  
Sediment Yields ◽  
Sediment Fluxes ◽  
Mountainous Regions ◽  
Water And Sediment ◽  
Meso Scale ◽  
Ne Spain ◽  
River Isábena

Abstract. A comprehensive hydro-sedimentological dataset for the Isábena catchment, NE Spain, for the period 2010–2016 is presented to analyse water and sediment fluxes in a Mediterranean meso-scale catchment. The dataset includes rainfall data from twelve rain gauges distributed within the study area complemented by meteorological data of twelve official meteo-stations. It comprises discharge data derived from water stage measurements as well as suspended sediment concentrations (SSC) at six gauging stations of the River Isábena and its sub-catchments. Soil spectroscopic data from 351 suspended sediment samples and 152 soil samples were collected to characterize sediment source regions and sediment properties via fingerprinting analyses. The Isábena catchment (445 km2) is located in the Southern Central Pyrenees ranging from 450 m to 2,720 m a.s.l., together with a pronounced topography this leads to distinct temperature and precipitation gradients. The River Isábena shows marked discharge variations and high sediment yields causing severe siltation problems in the downstream Barasona Reservoir. Main sediment source are badland areas located on Eocene marls that are well connected to the river network. The dataset features a wide set of parameters in a high spatial and temporal resolution suitable for advanced process understanding of water and sediment fluxes, their origin and connectivity, sediment budgeting and for evaluating and further developing hydro-sedimentological models in Mediterranean meso-scale mountainous catchments. The dataset is available at http://doi.org/10.5880/fidgeo.2017.003.

scholarly journals A 2-D process-based model for suspended sediment dynamics: a first step towards ecological modeling

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 1507-1553 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. M. Achete ◽  
M. van der Wegen ◽  
D. Roelvink ◽  
B. Jaffe
Keyword(s):  
Suspended Sediment ◽  
San Francisco ◽  
Complex Geometry ◽  
Current Model ◽  
Sediment Dynamics ◽  
Habitat Modeling ◽  
Sediment Supply ◽  
Model Parameters ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Scales ◽  
A Chain

Abstract. In estuaries most of the sediment load is carried in suspension. Sediment dynamics differ depending on sediment supply and hydrodynamic forcing conditions that vary over space and over time. Suspended sediment concentration (SSC) is one of the most important contributors to turbidity, which influences habitat conditions and ecological functions of the system. A robust sediment model is the first step towards a chain of model including contaminants and phytoplankton dynamics and habitat modeling. This works aims to determine turbidity levels in the complex-geometry Delta of San Francisco Estuary using a process-based approach (D-Flow Flexible Mesh software). Our approach includes a detailed calibration against measured SSC levels, a sensitivity analysis on model parameters, the determination of a yearly sediment budget as well as an assessment of model results in terms of turbidity levels for a single year (Water Year 2011). Model results shows that our process-based approach is a valuable tool in assessing sediment dynamics and their related ecological parameters over a range of spatial and temporal scales. The current model may act as the base model for a chain of ecological models and climate scenario forecasting.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document