Increased erosion in a pre-Alpine region contrasts with a future decrease in precipitation and snowmelt

Cache, Tabea; Ramirez, Jorge A.; Molnár, Péter; Ruíz-Villanueva, Virginia; Peleg, Nadav

doi:10.1016/j.geomorph.2023.108782

Cited by 10 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 87 publications

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“…Steep topography, glacier retreat, and extreme temperature and precipitation patterns result in rapid landscape change. As the result of climate change, mountain communities may experience earlier spring snowmelt and a shrinking snowpack that dramatically reduces summer low flows , and intensified rainfall and rain-on-snow events that leads to an increase in sedimentation (Cache et al, 2023), flooding , and mass wasting . Even without changing baseline conditions, the growing human presence in mountain environments , amplifies risk and adds complexity to hazard management.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sediment source partitioning and budgeting over historical timescales in a glacierized, mountain catchment

Turley,

Hassan,

Zimmermann

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Managing and living with geohazards is especially challenging in mountain landscapes. Informed management relies on an understanding of catchment-scale sediment dynamics and system functioning. Sediment budgeting can be used as a framework and practical management tool to organize and analyze the necessary data. However, it can be challenging to constrain sediment budget components, partition sediment yield measurements by source and grain size, and resolve scale issues. In this study, we seek to better constrain the spatial and temporal patterns of bed material transfer by leveraging a suite of techniques to measure and quantify sediment transfers in a glacierized, mountain catchment. First, we quantify the historical bed material yield using field surveys and historical air photo analysis. Second, we utilize high-resolution, multi-temporal lidar data and detailed geomorphic mapping to construct a detailed sediment budget. A mixed-methods approach and careful uncertainty analysis was required to resolve the historical sediment yield and detailed sediment budgeting results. In the Fitzsimmons Creek Watershed, the annual sediment yield varied by up to a factor of 10 over the 76-year record. Sediment source partitioning suggests landslides, active channel, and floodplain sources each contributed 1/3 of the total sediment supply. Importantly, the landsliding occurs proximal to the outlet and transports glacial valley fill to the channel, significantly increasing sediment yield. Point-based sediment yield estimates are helpful for long-term evaluation of landscape denudation and system change, while detailed sediment budgets provide information necessary for understanding complex system functions and dynamics, and for management applications.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sediment source partitioning and budgeting over historical timescales in a glacierized, mountain catchment

Turley,

Hassan,

Zimmermann

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Designing, building and assessing a geomorphically reconstructed postmining landscape: A case study of the Santa Engracia mine, Spain

Hancock,

Martín Duque

2024

Earth Surf Processes Landf

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New technology allows the reconstruction of postmining landforms using geomorphic design principles. It is important that such designs be evaluated and if needed, redesigned or reshaped so that soil loss is minimised and to ensure the landscape is geomorphically and ecologically integrated with the surrounding landscape. One tool to assess geomorphic landforms is to use a computer‐based landscape evolution model (LEM). LEMs allow different designs to be input and will highlight where erosion will occur and type of erosion (i.e. sheetwash, riling, gullying) as well as erosion rate. At the Santa Engracia abandoned mine (East‐Central Spain), postmining landscapes were designed using geomorphic principles (GeoFluv method and Natural Regrade software) and later constructed. The SIBERIA LEM was used to assess the erosional behaviour of these landscapes. Using suitable topsoil, vegetation and an organic blanket reduces erosion, and if vegetation can be established, the modelling demonstrates minimal gully erosion. The erosion forecast (5.3 to 6.3 t ha−1 year−1) is significantly lower than the initial surface (~350 t ha−1 year−1) using conventional (terraced) mine restoration. The predicted erosion rates and gullying are less than for the unmined (natural) Alto Tajo environment. Importantly, with the ability to spatially forecast gully location, erosion reduction measures can be undertaken. The method described here provides a robust assessment procedure and highlights the potential strengths and weakness of a design therefore supporting lower cost construction and repair with a higher chance of restoration success. The combination of geomorphic landform design and assessment using a LEM for this project (LIFE RIBERMINE) presents a new standard for mine rehabilitation in Europe.

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Mercury cycling in the U.S. Rocky Mountains: a review of past research and future priorities

Miller,

Driscoll,

Hinckley

2023

Biogeochemistry

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Increased erosion in a pre-Alpine region contrasts with a future decrease in precipitation and snowmelt

Cited by 10 publications

References 87 publications

Sediment source partitioning and budgeting over historical timescales in a glacierized, mountain catchment

Sediment source partitioning and budgeting over historical timescales in a glacierized, mountain catchment

Designing, building and assessing a geomorphically reconstructed postmining landscape: A case study of the Santa Engracia mine, Spain

Mercury cycling in the U.S. Rocky Mountains: a review of past research and future priorities

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