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Faceted topographies at normal faults have been studied for more than a century. Since the dip angle of the facets is typically much lower than the dip angle of the fault, it is clear that the facets are not just the exhumed footwall, but have been eroded considerably. It has also been shown that a constant erosion rate in combination with a constant rate of displacement can explain the occurrence of planar facets. Quantitatively, however, the formation of faceted topographies is still not fully understood. In this study, the shared stream-power model for fluvial erosion and sediment transport is used in combination with a recently published extension for hillslopes. As a major theoretical result, it is found that the ratio of the tangent of the facet angle and the dip angle of the fault as well as the ratio of baseline length and horizontal width of perfect triangular facets mainly depends on the ratio of the horizontal rate of displacement and the hillslope erodibility. Numerical simulations reveal that horizontal displacement is crucial for the formation of triangular facets. For vertical faults, facets are rather polygonal and much longer than wide. While the sizes of individual facets vary strongly, the average size is controlled by the ratio of hillslope erodibility and fluvial erodibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A proper understanding of sediment resuspension and transport processes is key to the morphodynamics of shallow tidal environments. However, a complete spatial and temporal coverage of suspended sediment concentration (SSC) to describe these processes is hardly available, preventing the effective representation of depositional dynamics in long-term modelling approaches. Through aiming to couple erosion and deposition dynamics in a unique synthetic theoretical framework, we here investigate SSC dynamics, following a similar approach to that adopted for erosion. The analysis with the peak-over-threshold theory of SSC time series computed using a fully coupled, bi-dimensional model allows us to identify interarrival times, intensities, and durations of over-threshold events and test the hypothesis of modelling SSC dynamics as a Poisson process. The effects of morphological modifications on spatial and temporal SSC patterns are investigated in the Venice Lagoon, for which several historical configurations in the last 4 centuries are available. Our results show that, similar to erosion events, SSC can be modelled as a marked Poisson process in the intertidal flats for all the analysed morphological lagoon configurations because exponentially distributed random variables describe over-threshold events well. Although erosion and resuspension are intimately intertwined, erosion alone does not suffice to describe also SSC because of the non-local dynamics due to advection and dispersion processes. The statistical characterization of SSC events completes the framework introduced for erosion mechanics, and together, they represent a promising tool to generate synthetic, yet realistic, time series of shear stress and SSC for the long-term modelling of tidal environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reliable descriptions of erosion events are foundational to effective frameworks relevant to the fate of tidal landscape evolution. Besides the rhythmic, predictable action of tidal currents, erosion in shallow tidal environments is strongly influenced by the stochastic wave-induced bottom shear stress (BSS), mainly responsible for sediment resuspension on tidal flats. However, the absence of sufficiently long, measured time series of BSS prevents a direct analysis of the combined tide- and wave-driven erosion dynamics and its proper representation in long-term morphodynamic models. Here we test the hypothesis of describing erosion dynamics in shallow tidal environments as a Poisson process by analysing, with the peak-over-threshold theory, the BSS time series computed using a fully coupled, bi-dimensional numerical model. We perform this analysis on the Venice Lagoon, Italy, taking advantage of several historical surveys done in the last 4 centuries, which allow us to investigate the effects of morphological modifications on spatial and temporal erosion patterns. Our analysis suggests that erosion events on intertidal flats can effectively be modelled as a marked Poisson process in different morphological configurations because the interarrival times, durations, and intensities of the over-threshold exceedances are always well described by exponentially distributed random variables. The resulting statistical characterization allows a straightforward computation of morphological indicators, such as the erosion work, and paves the way for a novel synthetic, yet reliable, approach for the long-term morphodynamic modelling of tidal environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glacial retreat uncovers large bodies of unconsolidated sediment that are prone to erosion. However, our knowledge of overland flow (OF) generation and sediment transport on moraines that have recently become ice-free is still limited. To investigate how the surface characteristics of young moraines affect OF and sediment transport, we installed five bounded runoff plots on two moraines of different ages in a proglacial area of the Swiss Alps. On each plot we conducted three sprinkling experiments to determine OF characteristics (i.e., total OF and peak OF flow rate) and measured sediment transport (turbidity, sediment concentrations, and total sediment yield). To determine and visualize where sediment transport takes place, we used a fluorescent sand tracer with an afterglow as well as ultraviolet (UV) and light-emitting diode (LED) lamps and a high-resolution camera. The results highlight the ability of this field setup to detect sand movement, even for individual fluorescent sand particles (300–500 µm grain size), and to distinguish between the two main mechanisms of sediment transport: OF-driven erosion and splash erosion. The higher rock cover on the younger moraine resulted in longer sediment transport distances and a higher sediment yield. In contrast, the higher vegetation cover on the older moraine promoted infiltration and reduced the length of the sediment transport pathways. Thus, this study demonstrates the potential of the use of fluorescent sand with an afterglow to determine sediment transport pathways as well as the fact that these observations can help to improve our understanding of OF and sediment transport processes on complex natural hillslopes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Testing and improving the capacity of soil erosion and sediment delivery models to simulate the intra-annual dynamics climatic drivers and disturbances (e.g. vegetation clearcutting, tillage events, wildfires) is critical to understand the drivers of the system variability. In seasonally changing agricultural catchments, explicit temporal dynamics are typically neglected within many soil erosion modelling approaches, in favour of a focus on the long-term annual average as the predictive target. Here, we approach the trade-off between the need for model simplicity and temporally-dynamic predictions by testing the ability of a low-complexity, spatially distributed model (WaTEM/SEDEM), to decompose the 15-day dynamics of soil erosion and sediment yield. A standardised parameterisation and implementation routine was applied to four well-studied catchments in North-West Europe with open-access validation data. Through the testing of several alternative model spatial and connectivity structures, including the addition of an empirical runoff coefficient, we show that a temporally-static calibration of transport capacity cannot adequately replicate the relative seasonal decoupling of gross (on-site) soil erosion and sediment delivery. Instead, embedding seasonality into the calibration routine significantly improved the model performance, revealing a negative relationship between gross (pixel-scale soil displacement) and net erosion (stream channel sediment load) throughout the year. By incorporating temporal dynamics, the relative net effect is a reduction in the magnitudes of the spatially-distributed sediment fluxes at aggregated timescales, compared to a temporally-lumped approach. Published catchment observations infer that the efficacy of sediment delivery via overland flow is strongly reduced in the summer by abundant vegetative boundaries and increased in the winter via soil crusting and its promotion of runoff. Models operating at temporally-aggregated timescales should account for the possibility of decoupling in time and space between gross erosion and sediment delivery in arable catchment systems, related to alternations between transport- and detachment-limited sediment transport capacity states. Despite the complexities involved in the temporal downscaling of WaTEM/SEDEM, we show the utility of this approach to: 1) identify key missing information components requiring attention to reduce error in gross erosion predictions (e.g. more consideration of antecedent soil conditions), 2) form a basis for strategically adding physical process-representation, with a focus on maintaining low model complexity while improving predictive skill, and 3) better understand the spatial and temporal interdependencies within soil erosion models when undertaking upscaling exercises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The measurement of cosmogenic nuclide (CN) concentrations in riverine sediment has provided breakthroughs in our understanding of landscape evolution. Yet, linking this detrital CN signal and relief evolution is based on hypotheses that are not easy to verify in the field. Models can be used to explore the statistics of CN concentrations in sediment grains. In this work, we present a coupling between the landscape evolution model Cidre and a model of the CN concentration in distinct grains. These grains are exhumed and detached from the bedrock and then transported in the sediment to the catchment outlet with temporary burials and travel according to the erosion–deposition rates calculated spatially in Cidre. The concentrations of various CNs can be tracked in these grains. Because the CN concentrations are calculated in a limited number of grains, they provide an approximation of the whole CN flux. Therefore, this approach is limited by the number of grains that can be handled in a reasonable computing time. Conversely, it becomes possible to record part of the variability in the erosion–deposition processes by tracking the CN concentrations in distinct grains using a Lagrangian approach. We illustrate the robustness and limitations of this approach by deriving the catchment-average erosion rates from the mean 10Be concentration of grains leaving a synthetic catchment and comparing them with the erosion rates calculated from sediment flux, for different uplift scenarios. We show that the catchment-average erosion rates are approximated to within 5 % uncertainty in most of the cases with a limited number of grains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glaciers expel sediment as they melt, in addition to ice and water. As a result, changing glacier dynamics and melt produce changes to glacier erosion and sediment discharge, which can impact the landscape surrounding retreating glaciers, as well as communities and ecosystems downstream. Currently, numerical models that transport subglacial sediment on sub-hourly to decadal scales are one-dimensional, usually along a glacier's flow line. Such models have proven useful in describing the formation of glacial landforms, the impact of sediment transport on glacier dynamics, and the interactions among climate, glacier dynamics, and erosion. However, these models omit the two-dimensional spatial distribution of sediment and its impact on sediment connectivity – the movement of sediment between its detachment in source areas and its deposition in sinks. Here, we present a numerical model that fulfills a need for predictive frameworks that describe subglacial sediment discharge in two spatial dimensions (x and y) over time. SUGSET_2D evolves a two-dimensional subglacial till layer in response to bedrock erosion and changing sediment transport conditions. Numerical experiments performed using an idealized alpine glacier illustrate the heterogeneity in sediment transport and bedrock erosion below the glacier. An increase in sediment discharge follows increased glacier melt, as has been documented in field observations and other numerical experiments. We also apply the model to a real alpine glacier, Griesgletscher in the Swiss Alps, where we compare outputs with annual measurements of sediment discharge. SUGSET_2D accurately reproduces the general quantities of sediment discharge and the year-to-year sediment discharge pattern measured at the glacier terminus. The model's ability to match the measured data depends on the tunable sediment grain size parameter, which controls subglacial sediment transport capacity. Smaller grain sizes allow sediment transport to occur in regions of the bed with reduced water flow and channel size, effectively increasing sediment connectivity into the main channels. The model provides the essential components of modeling subglacial sediment discharge on seasonal to decadal timescales and reveals the importance of including spatial heterogeneities in water discharge and sediment transport in both the x and y dimensions in evaluating sediment discharge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Submarine channels conveying sediment gravity flows are often topographically confined, but the effect of confinement width on channel morphodynamics is incompletely understood. We use physical experiments and a reduced-complexity model to investigate the effects of confinement width (B) and the inflow-to-sediment discharge ratio (Qin/Qs) on the evolution of submarine braided channels. The results show that a larger confinement width results in increased active braiding intensity (BIA) and that BIA takes longer to stabilize (i.e., a longer critical time; tc). At a fixed confinement width, a higher Qin/Qs slightly decreases the BIA. Digital elevation models of difference (DoD) of the experiments allow measurement of the morphological active width (Wa) of the submarine channels and the bulk morphological change (Vbulk) within an experiment, defined as the sum of total erosion and deposition. We find that Wa and Vbulk are proportional to B. We further confirm that BIA is proportional to both dimensionless sediment–stream power (ω**) and dimensionless stream power (ω*). These trends are consistent for submarine braided channels both with and without confinement width effects. Furthermore, we built a reduced-complexity model (RCM) that can simulate flow bifurcation and confluence of submarine braided channels. The simulated flow distribution provides reliable predictions of flow depth and sediment transport rate in the experiments. Using kernel density estimation (KDE) to forecast the probability and trends of cross-sectional flow distribution and corresponding BIA under extreme events, we find that skewness of the flow distribution decreases as discharge increases. The development of braided submarine channels, shown here to extend to conditions of topographic confinement, suggests that factors not modeled here (e.g., fine sediment) may be necessary to explain the abundance of single-thread submarine channels in nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alpine rivers have experienced considerable changes in channel morphology over the last century. Natural factors and human disturbance are the main drivers of changes in channel morphology that modify natural sediment and flow regimes at local, catchment, and regional scales. In glaciated catchments, river sediment loads are likely to increase due to increasing snowmelt and glacier melt runoff, facilitated by climate change. Additionally, channel erosion and depositional dynamics and patterns are influenced by sediment delivery from hillslopes and sediment in the forefields of retreating glaciers. In order to reliably assess the magnitudes of the channel-changing processes and their frequencies due to recent climate change, the investigation period needs to be extended to the last century, ideally back to the end of the Little Ice Age. Moreover, a high temporal resolution is required to account for the history of changes in channel morphology and for better detection and interpretation of related processes. The increasing availability of digitised historical aerial images and advancements in digital photogrammetry provide the basis for reconstructing and assessing the long-term evolution of the surface, in terms of both planimetric mapping and the generation of historical digital elevation models (DEMs). The main issue of current studies is the lack of information over a longer period. Therefore, this study contributes to research on fluvial sediment changes by estimating the sediment balance of a main Alpine river (Fagge) in a glaciated catchment (Kaunertal, Austria) over 19 survey periods from 1953 to 2019. Exploiting the potential of historical multi-temporal DEMs combined with recent topographic data, we quantify 66 years of geomorphic change within the active floodplain, including erosion, deposition, and the amounts of mobilised sediment. Our study focuses on a proglacial river that is undergoing a transition phase, resulting from an extensive glacier retreat of approximately 1.8 km. This has led to the formation of new channel networks and an overall negative cumulative sediment balance for the entire study area. We found that high-magnitude meteorological and hydrological events associated with local glacier retreats have a significant impact on the sediment balance. The gauge record indicates an increase in such events, as well as in runoff and probably in sediment transport capacity. Despite this, the sediment supply has declined in the last decade, which can be attributed to a lower contribution of the lateral moraines coupled to the channel network and less sediment sourced from the melting Gepatsch Glacier as evidenced by roches moutonnées exposed in the current/most recent forefield. Nonetheless, we observed significant erosion in the tributary, leading to the transport of sediment downstream. Overall, this study enhances our understanding of the complexity of sediment dynamics in proglacial rivers across various spatial and temporal scales and their relationship to climate change factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suspended sediment is an integral part of riverine transport and functioning that has been strongly altered during the Anthropocene due to the overwhelming human pressure on soils, sediments, and the water cycle. Understanding the controls of changing suspended sediment in rivers is therefore vital for effective management strategies. Here we present results from a trend analysis of suspended sediments covering 62 monitoring stations along the German waterways (catchment sizes range between 2000 and 160 000 km 2) with more than 440 000 water samples taken between 1990 and 2010. Based on daily monitoring of suspended sediment concentration (SSC), we found significant declines in mean annual SSC and annual suspended sediment loads (SSLs) at 49 of 62 monitoring stations totaling - 0.92 mg L -1 yr -1. At some stations decreases during the 20 years represent up to 50 % of the long-term average SSC. Significant decreases in SSC are associated with declining SSL despite an increase in sheet and rill erosion by almost 150 % derived from modeling due to changes in land use and management as well as rainfall erosivity. The contemporary suspended sediment loads of the Rhine at the German–Dutch border are approaching the natural base level of ∼1 Mt yr -1 , which was reached by the Rhine during the mid-Holocene when the suspended sediment load was adjusted to the Holocene climatic conditions and before the onset of increased loads due to human-induced land use changes in the Rhine catchment. At this point we can only speculate regarding potential reasons for a decline in sediment transport in larger rivers despite erosion increase. We argue that increased sediment retention in upstream headwaters is presumably the major reason for declining SSC in the large river channels studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detrital 10Be from continental river sands or submarine sediments has been extensively used to determine the average long-term denudation rates of terrestrial catchments, based on the assumption that the rate of cosmogenic nuclide production by the interaction of source rocks with cosmic radiation balances out the loss of these nuclides by surface denudation. However, the 10Be signal recorded in sediments may be affected at the source by the response time of mountainous catchments to high-frequency forcings. In addition, transient sediment storage in piedmonts, alluvial plains and lakes or near the coast may also induce a difference between the erosive signal and its record in the sedimentary sink. Consequently, a significant part of the signal recorded in shallow-water sediments can be lost, as deep marine sediments may simultaneously record a signal coming from newly eroded source rocks along with one coming from the destabilization of previously deposited sediments. In this paper, we use the landscape evolution model Badlands to simulate erosion, deposition and detrital 10Be transfer from a source-to-sink sedimentary system (the Var River catchment, southern French Alps) over the last 100 kyr. We first compare model-based denudation rates with the ones that would be extracted from the 10Be record of local continental sediments (equivalent to river sands) and from sediments deposited offshore over time in order to examine if this record provides an accurate estimate of continental denudation rates. Then, we examine which conditions (precipitation rate, flexure, ice cover) satisfy published measured river incision rates and 10Be concentration in submarine sediments. Our results, based on the Var catchment cosmic ray exposure dating and modelling indicate that, while river sands do accurately estimate the average denudation rate of continental catchments, this is much less the case for deep submarine sediments. We find that deep-sea sediments have a different and often much smoother 10Be signature than continental ones and record a significant time lag with respect to imposed precipitation rate changes, representing the geomorphological response of the margin. A model which allows us to fit both measured 10Be concentration in marine sediments and river incision rates on land involves an increase in precipitation rates from 0.3 to 0.7 m yr -1 after 20 ka, suggesting more intense precipitation starting at the end of the Last Glacial Maximum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The early Cenozoic marine sedimentary record is punctuated by several brief episodes (<200 kyr) of abrupt global warming, called hyperthermals, that have disturbed ocean life and water physicochemistry. Moreover, recent studies of fluvial–deltaic systems, for instance at the Palaeocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum, revealed that these hyperthermals also impacted the hydrologic cycle, triggering an increase in erosion and sediment transport at the Earth's surface. Contrary to the early Cenozoic hyperthermals, the Middle Eocene Climatic Optimum (MECO), lasting from 40.5 to 40.0 Ma, constitutes an event of gradual warming that left a highly variable carbon isotope signature and for which little data exist about its impact on Earth surface systems. In the South Pyrenean foreland basin (SPFB), an episode of prominent deltaic progradation (Belsué–Atarés and Escanilla formations) in the middle Bartonian has been usually associated with increased Pyrenean tectonic activity, but recent magnetostratigraphic data suggest a possible coincidence between the progradation and the MECO warming period. To test this hypothesis, we measured the stable-isotope composition of carbonates (δ13C carb and δ18O carb) and organic matter (δ13C org) of 257 samples in two sections of SPFB fluvial–deltaic successions covering the different phases of the MECO and already dated with magnetostratigraphy. We find a negative shift in δ18O carb and an unclear signal in δ13C carb around the transition from magnetic chron C18r to chron C17r (middle Bartonian). These results allow, by correlation with reference sections in the Atlantic and Tethys, the MECO to be identified and its coincident relationship with the Belsué–Atarès fluvial–deltaic progradation to be documented. Despite its long duration and a more gradual temperature rise, the MECO in the South Pyrenean foreland basin may have led, like lower Cenozoic hyperthermals, to an increase in erosion and sediment transport that is manifested in the sedimentary record. The new data support the hypothesis of a more important hydrological response to the MECO than previously thought in mid-latitude environments, including those around the Tethys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent research explored an alternative energy-centred perspective on hydrological processes, extending beyond the classical analysis of the catchment's water balance. Particularly, streamflow and the structure of river networks have been analysed in an energy-centred framework, which allows for the incorporation of two additional physical laws: (1) energy is conserved and (2) entropy of an isolated system cannot decrease (first and second law of thermodynamics). This is helpful for understanding the self-organized geometry of river networks and open-catchment systems in general. Here we expand this perspective, by exploring how hillslope topography and the presence of rill networks control the free-energy balance of surface runoff at the hillslope scale. Special emphasis is on the transitions between laminar-, mixed- and turbulent-flow conditions of surface runoff, as they are associated with kinetic energy dissipation as well as with energy transfer to eroded sediments. Starting with a general thermodynamic framework, in a first step we analyse how typical topographic shapes of hillslopes, representing different morphological stages, control the spatial patterns of potential and kinetic energy of surface runoff and energy dissipation along the flow path during steady states. Interestingly, we find that a distinct maximum in potential energy of surface runoff emerges along the flow path, which separates upslope areas of downslope potential energy growth from downslope areas where potential energy declines. A comparison with associated erosion processes indicates that the location of this maximum depends on the relative influence of diffusive and advective flow and erosion processes. In a next step, we use this framework to analyse the energy balance of surface runoff observed during hillslope-scale rainfall simulation experiments, which provide separate measurements of flow velocities for rill and for sheet flow. To this end, we calibrate the physically based hydrological model Catflow, which distributes total surface runoff between a rill and a sheet flow domain, to these experiments and analyse the spatial patterns of potential energy, kinetic energy and dissipation. This reveals again the existence of a maximum of potential energy in surface runoff as well as a connection to the relative contribution of advective and diffusive processes. In the case of a strong rill flow component, the potential energy maximum is located close to the transition zone, where turbulence or at least mixed flow may emerge. Furthermore, the simulations indicate an almost equal partitioning of kinetic energy into the sheet and the rill flow component. When drawing the analogy to an electric circuit, this distribution of power and erosive forces to erode and transport sediment corresponds to a maximum power configuration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In steep landscapes, river incision sets the pace of landscape evolution. Transport of coarse sediment controls incision by evacuating material delivered to river channels by landslides. However, large landslide-derived boulders that impede bedrock erosion are immobile even in major runoff-driven floods. Glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) mobilize these boulders and drive incision, yet their role in regional-scale erosion is poorly understood, largely because of their rarity. Here, we find a topographic signature consistent with widespread GLOF erosion in the Nepal Himalaya. Our interpretations emerge from the analysis of normalized channel steepness patterns, knickpoint distributions, and valley wideness. In rivers with glaciated headwaters that generate GLOFs, valleys stay narrow and relatively free of sediment, with bedrock often exposed to erosion. In turn, tributaries to these valleys are steep, allowing less efficient erosional regimes to keep pace with GLOF-driven incision. Where GLOFs are less frequent, valleys are more alluviated and incision stalls. Our results suggest that the extent of headwater glaciation may play an important role in the erosion of Himalayan river valleys and deserves more attention in future work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modeling the dynamics of alluvial rivers is theoretically and numerically more challenging than modeling erosion of bedrock channels in active mountain ranges. As a consequence, the majority of the approaches developed in the context of alluvial rivers are one-dimensional. However, recent advances in the numerics of fluvial landform evolution models allow for two-dimensional simulations of erosion and sediment transport over time spans of several million years. This study aims at finding out fundamental properties of rivers in a tectonically inactive foreland of a mountain range by investigating a simple reference scenario theoretically and numerically. This scenario consists of a mountain range and a foreland in a quasi-steady state wherein the material eroded in the mountain range is routed through the foreland. In order to understand the properties of foreland rivers, a subdivision into two classes – carriers and redistributors – is introduced. Carriers originate in the mountain range and are thus responsible for the large-scale sediment transport to the ocean. In turn, redistributors are rivers whose entire catchment is located in the foreland. Using the concept of carriers and redistributors, it is shown that the drainage network in the foreland permanently reorganizes so that a steady state in the strict sense is impossible. However, the longitudinal profiles of carriers are described well by a steady-state approximation. Their concavity index is considerably greater than that of rivers in the mountain range. Carriers predominantly deposit sediment at high rates, while redistributors erode at much lower rates. Despite the low erosion rates, the sediment flux from redistributors into carriers is a major component of the overall sediment budget and finally the main driver of the highly dynamic behavior of the carriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gully erosion seriously threatens farmland and causes soil loss. Estimating sediment transport in a gully system is important for understanding the mechanisms of gully erosion. The morphological method successfully applied in estimating bed-material transport in rivers, for some decades, has yet to be applied to gully erosion. Here, we estimate sediment transport in a gully system using the morphological method. It was applied to a laboratory simulation of a loess catchment. Nine high-resolution Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) were acquired by digital close-range photogrammetry and used to determine morphological change. Mass conservation was used to explain measured morphological change, and to infer the changes in sediment transport in space. The results showed that gully erosion is greater than deposition in the initial stages of gully development. Serious gully erosion occurs in the gully heads or upstream areas, and the erosion and deposition become balance in the downstream area. A large proportion of the total transport was actually concentrated into one main channel. Meanwhile, the active areas (high transport) of sediment transport gradually developed from the downstream to upstream with the gully development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surface of the earth is constantly changing, especially in mountain areas, where glacial retreat uncovers large bodies of unconsolidated sediment. However, our knowledge on overland flow (OF) generation and related sediment transport is still limited, partly due to a lack of methods to trace the pathways of water and sediment on the surface. 25 To investigate how different surface characteristics affect hydrological- and sediment connectivity on natural hillslopes, we studied five plots on two moraines of different ages in a proglacial area of the Swiss Alps. On all plots, we performed sprinkling experiments to determine OF characteristics, i.e., total OF, peak OF flow rate, peak turbidity and sediment concentrations, and total sediment yield. Here we test if a fluorescent sand tracer, together with UV lamps and a high-resolution camera, can be used to visualize the pathways of OF and to determine the typical sediment transport distances. The results highlight the ability of the setup to detect sand movement, even for individual fluorescent sand particles (300 - 500 μm grain size), and to distinguish between the two main mechanisms of sediment transport: OF-driven erosion and splash erosion. The experiments also revealed that the higher rock cover on the younger moraine enhanced surface hydrological connectivity and resulted in larger sediment transport distances. In contrast, the higher vegetation cover on the older moraine promoted infiltration and reduced the length of the surface flow pathways and erosion. The study, thus, demonstrates the potential of the new method to improve the observation of surface hydrological connectivity and sediment transport. These observations can help to improve our understanding of OF and sediment transport in complex natural settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dune height is an important predictor of impact during a storm event given that taller dunes have a lower likelihood of being overtopped than shorter dunes. However, the temporal dominance of the wave collision regime, wherein volume loss (erosion) from the dune occurs through dune retreat without overtopping, suggests that dune width must also be considered when evaluating the vulnerability of dunes to erosion. We use XBeach, a numerical model that simulates hydrodynamic processes, sediment transport, and morphologic change, to analyze storm-induced dune erosion as a function of dune aspect ratio (i.e., dune height versus dune width) for storms of varying intensity and duration. We find that low aspect ratio (low and wide) dunes lose less volume than high aspect ratio (tall and narrow) dunes during longer and more intense storms when the beach width is controlled for. In managed dune scenarios, where sand fences are used to construct a "fenced" dune seaward of the existing "natural" dune, we find that fenced dunes effectively prevent the natural dune behind them from experiencing any volume loss until the fenced dune is sufficiently eroded, reducing the magnitude of erosion of the natural dune by up to 50 %. We then control for dune morphology to assess volume loss as a function of beach width and confirm that beach width exerts a significant influence on dune erosion; a wide beach offers the greatest protection from erosion in all circumstances while the width of the dune determines how long the dune will last under persistent scarping. These findings suggest that efforts to maintain a wide beach may be effective at protecting coastal communities from dune loss. However, a trade-off may exist in maintaining wide beaches and dunes in that the protection offered in the short-term must be considered in concert with potentially long-term detrimental effects of limiting overwash, a process which is critical to maintaining island elevation as sea level rises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modeling glacial landform evolution is more challenging than modeling fluvial landform evolution. While several numerical models of large-scale fluvial erosion are available, there are only a few models of glacial erosion, and their application over long time spans requires a high numerical effort. In this paper, a simple formulation of glacial erosion which is similar to the fluvial stream-power model is presented. The model reproduces the occurrence of overdeepenings, hanging valleys, and steps at confluences at least qualitatively. Beyond this, it allows for a seamless coupling to fluvial erosion and sediment transport. The recently published direct numerical scheme for fluvial erosion and sediment transport can be applied to the entire domain, where the numerical effort is only moderately higher than for a purely fluvial system. Simulations over several million years on lattices of several million nodes can be performed on standard PCs. An open-source implementation is freely available as a part of the landform evolution model OpenLEM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil erosion and suspended sediment transport understanding is an important issue in terms of soil and water resources management in the critical zone. In mesoscale watersheds (>10 km2) the spatial distribution of potential sediment sources within the catchment associated with rainfall dynamics is considered to be the main factor in the observed suspended sediment flux variability within and between runoff events. Given the high spatial heterogeneity that can exist for such scales of interest, distributed physically based models of soil erosion and sediment transport are powerful tools to distinguish the specific effect of structural and functional connectivity on suspended sediment flux dynamics. As the spatial discretization of a model and its parameterization can crucially influence how the structural connectivity of the catchment is represented in the model, this study analyzed the impact of modeling choices in terms of the contributing drainage area (CDA) threshold to define the river network and of Manning's roughness parameter (n) on the sediment flux variability at the outlet of two geomorphologically distinct watersheds. While the modeled liquid and solid discharges were found to be sensitive to these choices, the patterns of the modeled source contributions remained relatively similar when the CDA threshold was restricted to the range of 15 to 50 ha , with n restricted to the range 0.4–0.8 on the hillslopes and to 0.025–0.075 in the river. The comparison of the two catchments showed that the actual location of sediment sources was more important than the choices made during discretization and parameterization of the model. Among the various structural connectivity indicators used to describe the geological sources, the mean distance to the stream was the most relevant proxy for the temporal characteristics of the modeled sedigraphs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of glaciers on the Quaternary evolution of mountainous landscapes remains controversial. Although in situ or bedrock low-temperature thermochronology offers insights on past rock exhumation and landscape erosion, the method also suffers from potential biases due to the difficulty of sampling bedrock buried under glaciers. Detrital thermochronology attempts to overcome this issue by sampling sediments at e.g. the catchment outlet, a component of which may originate from beneath the ice. However, detrital age distributions not only reflect the catchment exhumation, but also spatially variable patterns and rates of surface erosion and sediment transport. In this study, we use a new version of a glacial landscape evolution model, iSOSIA, to address the effect of erosion and sediment transport by ice on the form of synthetic detrital age distributions. Sediments are tracked as Lagrangian particles formed by bedrock erosion, and their transport is restricted to ice or hillslope processes, neglecting subglacial hydrology, until they are deposited. We base our model on the Tiedemann Glacier (British Columbia, Canada), which has simple morphological characteristics, such as a linear form and no connectivity to large tributary glaciers. Synthetic detrital age distributions are generated by specifying an erosion history, then sampling sediment particles at the frontal moraine of the modelled glacier. Results show that sediment sources, reflecting different processes such as glacier and hillslope erosion, can have distinct bedrock age distribution signatures, and estimating such distributions should help to identify predominant sources in the sampling site. However, discrepancies between the detrital and bedrock age distributions occur due to (i) the selective storage of a large proportion of sediments in small tributary glaciers and in lateral moraines, (ii) the large range of particle transport times due to varying transport lengths and strong variability of glacier ice velocity, (iii) the heterogeneous pattern of erosion, and (iv) the advective nature of glacier sediment transport along ice streamlines. This last factor leads to a poor lateral mixing of particle detrital signatures inside the frontal moraine, and then local sampling of the frontal moraine is likely to reflect local sources upstream. Therefore, sampling randomly across the moraine is preferred for a more representative view of the catchment age distribution. Finally, systematic comparisons between synthetic (U-Th)/He and fission track detrital ages, with different bedrock age-elevation profiles and different relative age uncertainties, show that the nature of the age-elevation relationship and age uncertainties largely control the ability to track sediment sources in the detrital record. However, depending on the erosion pattern spatially, qualitative first-order information may still be extracted from a thermochronological system with high uncertainties (>30 %). Overall, our results demonstrate that detrital age distributions in glaciated catchments are strongly impacted not only by erosion and exhumation but also by sediment transport processes and their spatial variability. However, when combined with bedrock age distributions, detrital thermochronology offers a novel means to constrain the transport pattern and time of sediment particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suspended sediment load in rivers is highly uncertain because sediment production and transport at catchment scale are strongly variable in space and time, and they are affected by catchment hydrology, topography, and land cover. Among the main sources of this variability are the spatially distributed nature of overland flow as an erosion driver and of surface erodibility given by soil type and vegetation cover distribution. Temporal variability mainly results from the time sequence of rainfall intensity during storms and snowmelt leading to soil saturation and overland flow. We present a new spatially distributed soil erosion and suspended sediment transport module integrated into the computationally efficient physically based hydrological model TOPKAPI-ETH, with which we investigate the effects of the two erosion drivers – precipitation and surface erodibility – on catchment sediment fluxes in a typical pre-Alpine mesoscale catchment. By conducting a series of numerical experiments, we quantify the impact of spatial variability in the two key erosion drivers on erosion–deposition patterns, sediment delivery ratio, and catchment sediment yields. Main findings are that the spatial variability in erosion drivers affects sediment yield by (i) increasing sediment production due to a spatially variable precipitation, while decreasing it due to a spatially variable surface erodibility, (ii) favouring the clustering of sediment source areas in space by surface runoff generation, and (iii) decreasing their connectivity to the river network by magnifying sediment buffers. The results highlight the importance of resolving spatial gradients controlling hydrology and sediment processes when modelling sediment dynamics at the mesoscale, in order to capture the key effects of sediment sources, buffers, and hillslope hydrological pathways in determining the sediment signal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contribution of an individual extreme storm event to long-term erosion rates has been estimated for the first time in the Atacama Desert. A mean erosion of 1.3 mm has been calculated for the March 2015 event that impacted the southernmost part of the Atacama Desert. The estimated erosion is consistent with millennial erosion rates and the previously reported return times of high-sediment-discharge events in the study area. This is significant because erosion rates, related to events of high sediment discharge in arid fluvial systems, are difficult to measure with sediment loading due to destruction of gauges by devastating flash floods and therefore have not been directly measured yet. During the March 2015 storm, debris flows were reported as the main sediment transport process, while gullies and channels erosion were the main source of sediments that generated debris flows reaching the tributary junctions and the trunk valleys. Sediment yield at tributary outlets is highly dependent on the ability of catchments to store sediments in stream networks between storms. The largest tributary catchments, the high hydrological hierarchy, the low topographic gradient and the gentle slopes are the most determining factors in generating debris flows capable of reaching alluvial fans in any storm event from large sediment volumes stored in the stream networks. Our findings better assess the susceptibility to debris flow of arid catchments, which is significant for the southernmost valleys of the Atacama Desert because human settlements and industries are mostly established in alluvial fans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have calculated a mean erosion of 1.3 mm caused by an individual storm event in March 2015 that impacted a large mountainous area of the southernmost Atacama Desert. The calculated erosion agrees with millennial erosion rates and with return time of high sediment discharge events previously reported in the study area. Here, we quantify for the first time the contribution of an individual extreme storm event to long-term erosion rates in the Atacama Desert. This is significant because erosion rates, related to high sediment discharge events in arid fluvial systems, are hard to measure with sediment load due the destruction of gauges by devastating flashfloods and thus have not been directly measured yet. During the March 2015 storm, debris flows were reported as the main sediment transport process. Erosion of gullies and channels are the main source of sediments that finally generate debris flows that reach the tributary junctions and the trunk valleys. The sediment yield to the tributary outlets strongly depends on the hydraulic capacity of catchments to store sediments in the drainage network between storms. Larger tributary catchments, high hydrological hierarchy, low topographic gradient and gentle slopes are the most susceptible catchments to generate debris flows that reach alluvial fans at any storm event from large debris volumes stored in the drainage network. Our findings better assess debris flow susceptibility of arid catchments, which is significant for the southernmost Atacama Desert valleys because human settlements and industries are mostly established in alluvial fans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe and demonstrate algorithms for treating cohesive and mixed sediment that have been added to the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS version 3.6), as implemented in the Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere-Wave-Sediment Transport Modeling System (COAWST Subversion repository revision 1234). These include the following: floc dynamics (aggregation and disaggregation in the water column); changes in floc characteristics in the seabed; erosion and deposition of cohesive and mixed (combination of cohesive and non-cohesive) sediment; and biodiffusive mixing of bed sediment. These routines supplement existing noncohesive sediment modules, thereby increasing our ability to model fine-grained and mixed-sediment environments. Additionally, we describe changes to the sediment bed layering scheme that improve the fidelity of the modeled stratigraphic record. Finally, we provide examples of these modules implemented in idealized test cases and a realistic application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the survey of flow dynamics and sediment transport to assess secular denudation rates on Tianshan Qu mountain in China. It shows that the chemical weathering accounts for more than one third of the total denudation rate, noting that sediment transported as bed load cannot be neglected in the balance. It suggests that the resolution of the incompatibility has an important consequence to the understanding of the interplay between erosion and tectonics.

Slope processes such as slides and debris flows, are among the main events that induce effects on the Rio Grande sediment transport capacity. The slides mainly affect the slope of the Rio Grande river basin while debris and mud flows phenomena take place in the tributary valleys. In the past decades several mass movements occurred causing victims and great damages to roads and villages and therefore hazard assessment and risk mitigation is of paramount importance for a correct development of the area. This is also an urgent need since the Quebrada de Humahuaca was recently included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage. The growing tourism business may lead to an uncontrolled urbanization of the valley with the consequent enlargement of threatened areas. In this framework mitigation measures have to take into account not only technical aspects related to the physical behaviour of the moving masses but also environmental and sociological factors that could influence the effectiveness of the countermeasures. Mitigation of landslide effects is indeed rather complex because of the large extension of the territory and the particular geological and geomorphological setting. Moreover the necessity to maintain the natural condition of the area as prescribed by UNESCO, make this task even more difficult. Nowadays no in-depth study of the entire area exists, therefore an integrated and multidisciplinary investigation plan is going to be set up including geological and geomorphological investigations as well as archaeological and historical surveys. The better understanding of geomorphological evolution processes of the Quebrada de Humahuaca will bridge the gap between the necessity of preservation and the request of safety keeping of the recommendation by UNESCO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a revised and scale-adapted Foster-Meyer-Onstad model (Foster et al., 1977) for the transport of soil erosion sediments under scarce input data, with the acronym CliFEM (Climate Forcing and Erosion Modelling). This new idea was addressed to develop a monthly time scale invariant Net Erosion model (NER), with the aim to consider the different erosion processes operating at different time scales in the Sele River Basin (South Italy), during 1973-2007 period. The sediment delivery ratio approach was applied to obtain an indirect estimate of the gross erosion too. The examined period was affected by a changeable weather regime, where extreme events may have contributed to exacerbate soil losses, although only the 19% of eroded sediment was delivered at outlet of the basin. The long-term average soil erosion was very high (73Mgha-1 per year±58Mgha-1). The estimate of monthly erosion showed catastrophic soil losses during the soil tillage season (August-October), with consequent land degradation of the hilly areas of the Sele River Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The long-term evolution of shoreface-connected sand ridges is investigated with a nonlinear spectral model which governs the dynamics of waves, currents, sediment transport and the bed level on the inner shelf. Wave variables are calculated with a shoaling-refraction model instead of using a parameterisation. The spectral model describes the time evolution of amplitudes of known eigenmodes of the linearised system. Bottom pattern formation occurs if the transverse bottom slope of the inner shelf, β, exceedsa critical value βc. For fixed model parameters the sensitivity of the properties of modelled sand ridges to changes in the number (N-1) of resolved subharmonics (of the initially fastest growing mode) is investigated. For any N the model shows the growth and subsequent saturation of the height of the sand ridges. The saturation time scale is several thousands of years, which suggests that observed sand ridges have not reached their saturated stage yet. The migration speed of the ridges and the average longshore spacing between successive crests in the saturated state differ from those in the initial state. Analysis of the potential energy balance of the ridges reveals that bed slope-induced sediment transport is crucial for the saturation process. In the transient stage the shoreface-connected ridges occur in patches. The overall characteristics of the bedforms (saturation time, final maximum height, average longshore spacing, migration speed) hardly vary with N. However, individual time series of modal amplitudes and bottom patterns strongly depend on N, thereby implying that the detailed evolution of sand ridges can only be predicted over a limited time interval. Additional experiments show that the critical bed slope βc increases with larger offshore angles of wave incidence,larger offshore wave heights and longer wave periods, and that the corresponding maximum height of the ridges decreases whilst the saturation time increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most existing erosion models implicitly assume that runoff is generated due to infiltration excess, i.e. Hortonian overland flow. However, at catchment scale the dynamics is more complex because there exist others water sources and process involved, for example, translatory, return, and macropore flow, which can move slowly from soil towards to catchment outlet. Therefore, those must be included in studies of flow dynamics and description of erosion process. Because an error at representation of water sources can lead to errors on erosion process modelling, when slowly movements, are the main contributor at catchment outlet. Thus, we aim to investigate the role played by water sources in the catchment and how it may affect the process-based erosion models performance. The study was conducted in Arvorezinha catchment, Brazil, and has a drainage area of ca. 1.23 km². Currently, the catchment is characterized by the cultivation of tobacco, especially through the minimum cultivation system. Accumulated rainfall is measured in a rain gauge and used as a reference to adjust the measurements of two pluviograph. Monitoring of water discharge (Q) and suspended sediments concentration (SSC) is performed in the outlet of the catchment through a Parshall flume with a limnigraph and turbidimeter, respectively. Using dissolved silicon concentration (DSi) the hydrograph can be separated into two components: i) surface runoff, i.e., fast movement water (new water) and ii) groundwater+soil water, i.e., slow movement water (old water). Twenty-six samples were collected during subsurface+base flow conditions to characterize DSi in groundwater+soil water from 9/7/2011 to 9/7/2012. Sampling during events started on 10/01/2011 and lasted until to 10/26/2013, in total six rainfall events to characterize surface runoff. An aliquot of each sample (sediment + water) was collected and filtered through a 0.22 µm porosity. The determination of DSi content was through an ICP-OES. Modeling of the erosion process (sediment yield-SY) was performed using the Limburg Soil Erosion Model (2.01 version). A manual calibration procedure was used, and its procedure was repeated for both approaches: with and without runoff separation. For the six rainfall events evaluated, 62% of the hydrograph is formed by groundwater+soil water, especially in autumn-winter and with low-medium magnitude (up to Q = 800 L.s-1). Runoff separation by DSi was essential for obtaining the correct estimation of surface runoff volumes. Furthermore, the effect of dilution during the events was observed, i.e. as Q increases, DSi concentration decreases. Hydrossedimentological monitoring quantifies the sediment at the catchment outlet, which is the result of sediment from soil detachment in the catchment, carried by surface runoff and diluted in the flows that move slowly in outlet (subsurface and base flow). On the other hand, erosion process modeling done by the LISEM model is based only on sediment transported by surface runoff. Since the model simulates only surface flow, the dilution effect does not occur and thus SSC and SY are simulated incorrectly. Therefore, it is essential to consider different sources of water on the occurrence of runoff events, because the dynamics of the sediment is directly influenced by those. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orogenic belts are a system of complex connections and feedbacks where climatic, tectonic and erosional processes play significant roles. Orogenic systems affect not only the carbon cycle and thereby the climate change through regional uplift, physical and chemical weathering and also contributes to the soil formation via the sediments they produce. The analyses of these macro geomorphological units and the sediments they produce enable to obtain quantitative information for understanding the effects of tectonic and climatic processes additionally their impact on the civilizations. The Mid-Holocene erosion in the Southern section of the Menderes Massif is responsible for one of the greatest sediment redistributions in Turkey and further caused rapid alluvial filling of ancient port cities such as Miletus, Myous and Priene which are away in 40 km from the modern coastline today. In this study, we analyzed the control of relative tectonic activity between fault segments on fan sizes to characterize the differential erosional contribution of northern and southern sections of the Büyük Menderes River: First, we present mountain fronts and stream morphology of the different fault segments as a proxy for fault activity degree assessment to document spatial tectonic activity pattern of the catchments. Second, we related the computed volume of alluvial fans with segmentation-related activity classification of sub-catchments to demonstrate spatial variations in the proportion of erosion associated with the level of relative activity between fault segments in the Central and Southern Menderes Massif. Two key observations in this region emphasize the importance of tectonics on the efficiency of surface processes in spatially: (1) Faults bounding Southern Massif is included low to moderate tectonic activity classes while fault segments bounding Central Menderes Massif has relatively high or very high tectonic activity, where the total size of the fans are an order of magnitude higher than the southern section. (2) Formation of larger alluvial fans in the Central Massif due to high sedimentation rate caused lateral migration of the trunk river course to the south. Overall, we document a strong tectonic control on erosion and channel slopes in the Central Menderes Massif. Furthermore, we observed that the presence of half-grabens in the Southern Menderes Massif is primarily limited the alluvial fan sizes and damping sediment mass transport, which is primarily responsible for leading the balance between differential erosion, sediment routing and transient storage in the Menderes Massif. This study was supported by TÜBITAK grant #116Y077. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the ocean, sediment is transported by sediment-laden gravity flows, called turbidity currents, which flow in river-like channels on the ocean floor. These submarine channels funnel sediment from the continental coasts into the deep ocean and can extend for 1,000's of kilometers. At the end of these channels, turbidity currents lose their confinement and are therefore expected to deposit their sediment load. Yet seafloor observations have shown that, in strong contrast to the expectation, the turbidity currents are prone to eroding the seafloor in so called channel-lobe transition zones, forming large scour fields, instead of depositing sediment there. Research to date provides no direct measurements of a flow mechanism that can explain the observed scour fields.Here we present measurements of the flow structure, along with the erosional/depositional patterns, from experimental turbidity currents that leave a channel. Downstream variations in the flow field is mapped with an array of ultrasonic-Doppler-profilers and erosional/depositional patterns are mapped using a laser scanner. We observed an increase in erosion by the turbidity current upon leaving the channel due to a newly discovered flow mechanism that we call "flow relaxation". Flow relaxation describes the deformation of the flow upon lateral spreading, which increases the basal strength of the turbidity current, leading to erosion.The results are the first measurements of a flow mechanism that is responsible for the erosional features often observed in channel-lobe transition zones. Furthermore, flow relaxation provides a new explanation for the efficient propagation of submarine channel systems. Understanding these channel systems is important as they rival rivers in the capacity to transport sediment, nutrients, pollutants, and organic carbon across the Earth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water erosion on agricultural land affects soil productivity and surface water quality. Despite being a country with relatively low relief and low rainfall erosivity, field observations and coarse-scale modelling exercises rank Denmark as vulnerable to water erosion. However, in the farming sector and among authorities perception of the problem has been low. Climate change and different societal drivers, amongst others EU legislation, now require Denmark to take action for protecting soil and water resources. This necessitates stakeholders – authorities as well as farmers – to address the extent and impact of water erosion on agricultural land on an informed basis. As erosion processes are spatially and temporarily very variable, reliable modelling tools play an increasing role in targeted and effective mitigation planning. The erstwhile demand of indiscriminate establishment of buffer zones along most water bodies had been highly controversial in Denmark. Therefore, our erosion modelling work has been coordinated with agro-environmental authorities and farmers' organizations in an attempt to increase transparency and acceptance among stakeholders.Here we present the results of a national modelling study that estimated long-term average sediment redistribution and delivery to surface water in landscapes at fine spatial resolution and assessed the effect of buffer zone placement in Denmark. We adapted the WaTEM tool, which combines a spatially distributed sediment transport model with the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation. All input data are available in public databases at 10-m grid resolution. We calibrated and validated the model with sediment yield data from 31 catchments and with data from a comprehensive, long-term rill erosion survey. To demonstrate mitigation planning options, we simulated multiple riparian buffer zone scenarios for assessing their effectiveness in reducing sediment input into surface waters. In Denmark, 6% of the agricultural land is estimated to have erosion rates of >2.5 t ha-1 year-1, often considered unsustainable. Sediment delivery from agricultural land to surface water is predicted at 86,000 t year-1. This confirms the need to intensify mitigation actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moisture impinging on high topographic barriers result in effective orographic barriers. For example, the interaction of the South American Monsoon System with the eastern central Andes result in an efficient orographic barrier. The steep topographic gradient, sparse vegetation cover and the highly seasonal and spatially focused rainfall result in an spatially-varying erosional regime stretching from low to high rates. The spatiotemporal correlation between various topographic, tectonic, environmental, climatic, and exhumational phenomena in this region has resulted in the formulation of models of possible long-term erosional and tectonic feedback processes that drive the lateral expansion and vertical growth of mountain belts. However, despite an increase in thermochronologic, cosmogenic radionuclide, and sedimentological datasets that help explain the underlying mechanisms, the true nature of these relationships is still unclear and controversies particularly exist concerning the importance of the different forcing factors that drive sediment transport on different time scales.Here, we synthesize and assess these controversies with observations from studies conducted perpendicular to strike of the orogen, and combine them with new basin-wide erosion-rate data from the Central Andean Plateau and remote-sensing derived erosion measurements. At first order and at the wet mountain front, erosion rates based on cosmogenic nuclide inventories from river sands suggest a correlation with rainfall rates and spatial structure of vegetation cover. Further leeward in the high-elevation and internally-drained part of the central Andean Plateau, we observe that aelion transport can exceed fluvial transport rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose an experimental setup to measure soil erosion and related it with sediment transport using rainfall simulator on a large plots experimental area. Experiments were carried out in fulfilment of the HERASE project, aimed at investigating the seasonal variations of soil erosion in the Oglio basin, an Alpine and Pre-alpine watershed with an area of about 1800 km2, and maximum elevation of 3.538m a.s.l. Namely some rainfall simulation experiments were carried out to assess water erosion under three different scenarios, on in situ plots having same soil and slope, but with different soil coverage and initial moisture condition. In particular, two experiments were carried out on a grassland plot covering an area of 144m2, one considering an undisturbed initial soil moisture condition and the other on a wet soil. The third experiment plot, having the same soil and slope of the previous, and covering an area of 72m2, was set up in the pine forest underwood area. The duration of the three experiments were respectively of 18 minutes, 30 minutes and 30minutes and rainfall intensity was set equal to 70mm/h, accordingly to a 200 return period storm. The plots were properly designed to ensure a correct as possible measure of surface runoff, and transported sediments were collected at 1 minute steps. Suspended sediment, and particle size analysis were carried out ex-post. Our results show a different behaviour of the two analysed plots, in terms of runoff generation and sediment transport. The runoff peak on grassland ranged from 0.018l/s for the undisturbed condition, to 0.09l/s with wet initial condition, while the peak in sediment transport, slowly delayed with respect to the runoff peak, was 1,7 times bigger in wet conditions. In the third experiment, peak runoff was 0.9l/s (10 times bigger than the peak runoff on wet grassland), and constant until the end of simulated rainfall, and took five minutes to run out (concentration time). The analysis on sediment shows an initial slush, where pine needles composed the majority of sediment. Then, after the sediment reached the peak of 350mg/s after about 9 minutes from the beginning of the experiment, it decreased rapidly to an almost constant value of 50mg/s. Interpretations on experiment results with different formulations and a comparison with similar analyses carried out in the Alpine area of Italy are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unsustainable land use and cover changes (LUCC) are driving increased soil erosion and siltation of water bodies in East-Africa, threatening food-, livelihood-, water-, and energy security. Lack of long-term LUCC and sediment flux data in East-Africa's catchments impedes the development of sustainable land- and water management plans to tackle this 'wicked problem'. Using Landsat imagery this study reconstructed almost three decades of LUCC (1988-2016) in the Lake Manyara basin, Tanzania. The effects on the surface water erosion risk were modelled using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE), which highlighted notable LUCC in high risk zones, increasing the surface erosion risk substantially in these areas. In parallel, geochemical fingerprinting was applied to attribute sediment contributions from different tributaries to Lake Manyara. By unmixing the fingerprints of lake sediment mixtures against riverine sources, the proportional sediment contributions of the different sub-catchments in Lake Manyara were obtained. Additionally, sediment cores were analysed to investigate the changes in sedimentation rates and tributary sediment contributions under response of LUCC in the tributary sub-catchments. The sediment contributions from different sub-catchments matched closely, but not completely, with those sub-catchments where the model predicted big increases in surface erosion risk. Source-to-sink dynamics in the sub-catchments were explored by soil- and landscape analysis in the potential source areas and composite fingerprinting of the transported sediment. This highlighted the importance of connectivity in the source-to-sink transport of eroded sediment. While surface erosion risk is predicted to be higher in certain sub-catchments, anthropogenic micro-topographic buffers and natural wetlands decrease the connectivity. In contrast, increasing gully formation in other sub-catchments rapidly funnels the sediment to the river systems, increasing connectivity. This study highlights the importance of a multi-technique basin-wide approach to determine areas and dynamics of increased erosion and siltation to assist management authorities for targeted action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mw 7.8 2015 Gorkha earthquake presents a unique opportunity to study the effects of coseismic landsliding on sediment transport and landscape response in the years immediately following a large earthquake. The effects of these infrequent mass wasting events on longer-term erosion rates is still not fully understood and recent studies question whether these large earthquakes build or destroy topography at the orogen-scale. In this study, we repeatedly sample river sediments in earthquake affected valleys of central Nepal for terrestrial cosmogenic nuclides (TCN). Assuming landslides mobilize deeper material with lower TCN concentrations, we expect an "earthquake signal" in the export of these lower concentration sediments. However, preliminary data do not show such a clear response after the Gorkha earthquake in our measurements of 10Be concentrations in sands and pebbles. To better understand the absence of an obvious earthquake signal, we model how concentrations of cosmogenic nuclides respond to coseismic landsliding and longer-term erosion rates. On-going measurements and modeling will better resolve this data set and help us further investigate the effects of seismicity on both long- and short-term erosion in an active orogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Indian monsoon and tectonic both control the Himalayan erosion. Tectonic generates uplift and maintain high elevation of the range and earthquakes weaken the mountain front. Monsoon seasonal intensity controls the glacier cover, landslide activity, river incision, vegetation cover, and export of sediments towards the floodplain. The monsoon also exerts a primary control on the chemical erosion as weathering rates are clearly dependent upon river discharge. In the floodplain, sediment export is also tightly controlled by climate. The seasonality and intensity of the monsoon generate discharge high enough to ensure the efficiency of river transport of sand-rich sediments to the delta and shelf (Lupker et al. JGR, 2011). IODP Expedition 354 allowed to drill a series of seven sites along an E-W transect at 8°N in the Bengal fan. This generated a comprehensive record of Himalayan erosion since 20 Ma. Bengal fan sediments are dominated by turbidites characterised by high accumulation rate and variable grain size raging from clayey silt to sand. Plio-Pleistocene turbidites reveal frequent channel levee deposition with massive sand deposition in inter-levee intervals. Overall, sand represents at least a third of the fan deposition. Turbidites are intercalated with hemipelagic sediments characterised by low accumulation rates, 20 to 50% of biogenic carbonates, fine grains and bioturbation. Turbidites have petrographic and geochemical signatures characteristic of sediments derived from the Himalaya such as the Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers that supply the fan (see A. Galy et al. this session). Major and trace element geochemistry show relatively stable compositions throughout the Neogene and Quaternary. They reveal a very weak regime of chemical weathering with no significant variation through time. Concentrations in mobile elements such as Na and K relative to Al are significantly higher than in modern river and northern fan sediments. This suggests that weathering and/or soil erosion are amplified in the modern time. Detrital carbonate concentration vary significantly with higher concentrations during the Miocene then falling during the Plio-Pleistocene. This suggests either a change in the exposition of Tethyan series in Himalaya or significantly lower chemical weathering during Miocene. Finally, clay composition is dominated by illite which also differs with the present Ganga which is rich in smectite. The record at 8°N contrasts with the ODP Leg 116 record at 1°S in the distal fan, which from 7 to 1 Ma shows a high degree of weathering associated to lower accumulation rates. The record at 8°N indicates that these variations do not reflect changes in the continental source basin but rather reflect a change in the turbiditic export. The Bengal Fan record at 8°N suggests that an erosion regime dominated by physical erosion able to drive large amount of sand and silt with low weathering was established at least 20 Ma ago and remained relatively stable in spite of the global climate variations. These observations suggest that erosion sustained by a highly seasonal climate able to ensure rapid transport of sediments such as the monsoon was already active 20 Ma ago. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The landscape development in the Kosi River basin in the central Himalaya is strongly influenced by large tectonic and climatic gradients. Dynamic behaviour of the Kosi River in the alluvial part has been well-documented and is strongly linked to high sediment supply from the upstream hinterland area. Hence, reach scale erosion mapping in the hinterland area is a major issue, which can be tackled by highlighting sediment generating areas within the Kosi River basin. Sediments generated through hinterland erosion are routed downstream and spatially distributed in lower reaches of the Kosi River. The spatial distribution of energy available for sediment transport is governed by stream power (function of discharge and slope). This sediment transport competency approach has been applied in this paper to unravel erosion at basin/reach scale using spatial distribution pattern of specific stream power (SSP). A physically-based semi-distributed hydrological model, Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) has been used to simulate the reach scale stream power variability through estimation of channel slope and discharge. Stream power distribution pattern for different months was extracted at reach scale, through SWAT model by utilizing basic inputs such as precipitation, temperature, elevation, land use land cover and soil data. We observed that stream power is higher in channel reaches of the Sun Kosi and Arun. Downstream variation in SSP plot shows that mid-channel reaches in the Higher Himalaya have higher stream power in the Kosi River basin. The results also highlight a significant role of channel slope on stream power distribution pattern. Spatial distribution of slope data shows higher channel slope in western and main channel of the Kosi River that also results in higher stream power. This increased fluvial incision event is manifested in the spatial distribution of sediment yield. Further, since the estimation of SSP incorporates spatial variation in channel width, the peaks in specific stream power shift downstream in comparison to stream power distribution due to spatial variability in channel width. The reaches of high specific stream power and stream power therefore represent the major erosional zones, and therefore this approach can be used as a proxy for sediment erosion to understand sediment dynamics in the Kosi River basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]