Modelling of sediment supply from torrent catchments in the Western Alps using the sediment contributing area (SCA) approach

Altmann, Moritz; Haas, Florian; Heckmann, Tobias; Liébault, Frédéric; Becht, Michael

doi:10.1002/esp.5046

Cited by 9 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…urban, road) or to bare soil, often located in the headwaters. Here, geometries with bare soil were considered as potentially sediment contributing area (the definition is thus not exactly the same than that used by Haas et al, 2011;Altmann et al, 2021, but goes essentially in the same spirit). To some extent, vegetated geometries considered as moorland may sometimes be potentially sediment-producing diffuse gullying areas.…”

Section: Sediment Contributing Area: Connected Eroding Areasmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The strong correlation between sediment yield and erosive area has already been observed in the analyses conducted on a smaller data set comprising the most active catchments of the same region by Peteuil and Liébault (2011) regarding mean annual and event sediment production. Altmann et al (2021) also proposed an automatic DEM analysis based on slopes and distance to drainage network to predict the sediment contributing area, which was well correlated to the mean annual sediment production. However, as shown in Table 1, this sediment contributing area did not appear until now in the other empirical equations proposed in the literature to predict event magnitude in mountain torrents.…”

Section: Input Parametersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Why sediment export varies so much between mountain catchments remains a very active research topic. In addition to catchment size, slope, land cover and geology, the sediment connectivity is increasingly highlighted as a key driving factor (Heckmann et al, 2018;Altmann et al, 2021;Arabkhedri et al, 2021). Recently, the concept of (sediment) connectivity has been introduced to describe the efficiency of sediment transfer from its sources to the river system and the links between sources and sinks of sediment such as lakes in the upstream areas of catchments (Fryirs, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Statistical Modelling of Sediment Supply in Torrent Catchments of the Northern French Alps

Morel

Piton

Kuss³

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Abstract. The ability to understand and predict coarse sediment transport in torrent catchments is a key element for the protection and prevention against the associated hazards. In this study, we collected data describing sediment supply at 99 torrential catchments in the Northern French Alps. The sample covers a wide range of geomorphic activity: from torrents experiencing debris flows every few years to fully forested catchments exporting small bedload volumes every decade. These catchments have long records of past events and sediment supply to debris basins. The mean annual, the 10-year return period and the reference volume (i.e. the 100-year return level or the largest observed volume) of sediment supply were derived for studied torrents. We examined the relationships between specific sediment supply volumes and many explanatory variables using linear regression and random forest approaches. Results showed that the ratio of sediment contributing area (bare soil) to catchment area is the most important predictor of the sediment production specific volumes (m3/km2). Others variables such as the Metlon index or the indices of sediment connectivity have also an influence. Several predictive models were developed in order to estimate the sediment supply in torrents that are not equipped with debris basins.

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Section: Sediment Contributing Area: Connected Eroding Areasmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Input Parametersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Statistical Modelling of Sediment Supply in Torrent Catchments of the Northern French Alps

Morel

Piton

Kuss³

et al. 2023

Preprint

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“…Altmann et al ( 2021 ) made use of an extensive dataset of mean annual sediment yield (MASY) recorded at 35 sediment retention structures in the Western French Alps during a period of about 25 years. They used a geomorphometric approach to delineate the sediment contributing area (SCA) of those retention structures on a digital elevation model and correlate log 10 (SCA) with log 10 (MASY).…”

Section: A Brief Overview Of Special Issue Contributionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Special issue: German Society for Geomorphology

Heckmann

Meister

Dietze

et al. 2022

Earth Surf Processes Landf

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The German Society for Geomorphology (GSG) (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Geomorphologie: DGGM) evolved out of the German Working Group for Geomorphology in 2021, reflecting the widened scope of relevant topics and involved disciplines, the increasing importance for the professional job market and society in general, as well as the increasing importance of international cooperation and global challenges. In this special issue of the GSG we attempt to visualize the breadth in relevant methods and geomorphological subdisciplines, the wide scope of investigated temporal and spatial scales, but also the diversification in terms of career levels and gender equality. The special issue contains 25 research papers and one commentary, incorporating more than 30 German, Austrian, Swiss and other geomorphology groups, all active in the GSG, with co‐authors from virtually all continents. This editorial provides a short historical overview of the GSG's evolution, short paper summaries, a tabular paper overview and a graphical representation of contributing groups and networking, the career level and gender of all authors, relevant topics, methods, as well as temporal and spatial scales.

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“…Although various attempts have been made to quantify sediment connectivity, most studies have tended to quantify intensity and degree of structural sediment connectivity based on Borselli et al (2008) approach (Broeckx et al, 2016; Calsamiglia et al, 2018, 2018; Calsamiglia, Lucas‐Borja, Fortesa, García‐Comendador, & Estrany, 2017; Cantreul, Bielders, Calsamiglia, & Degré, 2018; Crema & Bossi, 2017; Crema & Cavalli, 2018; D'Haen, Dusar, Verstraeten, Degryse, & De Brue, 2013; Gay, Cerdan, Mardhel, & Desmet, 2016; Hooke & Sandercock, 2012; Llena, Vericat, Cavalli, Crema, & Smith, 2019; Lopez‐Vicente et al, 2017; Messenzehl, Hoffmann, & Dikau, 2014; Mishra, Sinha, Jain, Nepal, & Uddin, 2019; Najafi, Sadeghi, & Heckmann, 2017; Sougnez, van Wesemael, & Vanacker, 2011; Zanandrea, Michel, Kobiyama, & Cardozo, 2019). This approach has been attractive to scholars due to its low and easily available data requirements, fast handling, and ready extendibility to a watershed scale, but it is independent of the volume of sediment flux and does not address functional sediment connectivity, which has rarely been studied (Altmann, Haas, Heckmann, Liébault, & Becht, 2020; Baartman, Masselink, Keesstra, & Temme, 2013; Coulthard & Van De Wiel, 2016; Hamel, Chaplin‐Kramer, Sim, & Mueller, 2015; Lesschen, Schoorl, & Cammeraat, 2009; Liu, Zhao, & Yu, 2020; Medeiros, Güntner, Francke, Mamede, & Carlos de Araújo, 2010; Michalek, Zarnaghsh, & Husic, 2021; Najafi et al, 2021). As a result, only a very limited number of studies (i.e., Grauso, Pasanisi, & Tebano, 2018; Liu & Fu, 2016; Zingaro et al, 2019) have simultaneously quantified structural and functional sediment connectivity.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of sediment accessibility and availability concepts based on sediment connectivity throughout a watershed

2021

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The identification of the degree of linkage between sediment source and sink areas and also the channel network allows for prioritizing areas for sediment control measures at the watershed scale. The present study was therefore planned to investigate sediment connectivity based on structural and functional aspects. To that end, the index of connectivity (IC) and sediment delivery ratio (SDR), respectively, were calculated based on the approaches of Borselli, Cassi, & Torri (2008) and a sediment contribution area (SCA) representing structural and functional sediment indices of connectivity. Results showed that high structural connectivity in an area does not necessarily result in high transportation of sediment, since structural connectivity only reflects the potential for sediment transfer between specific source and sink areas. We name this potential movement as sediment accessibility. Meanwhile, high functional sediment connectivity occurs only where soil erosion processes are actively eroding sediment, and consequently we name this condition as sediment availability. Therefore, four sediment connectivity states can occur: (a) sediment availability and sediment accessibility (SASA); (b) sediment availability and sediment inaccessibility (SASIA); (c) sediment unavailability and sediment accessibility (SUASA); and (d) sediment unavailability and sediment inaccessibility (SUASIA). From the application of this concept in the Taham representative watershed in Zanjan Province, Iran, there was a consistency between both structural and functional connectivity in seven subwatersheds within the study area, with one exception with higher sediment availability than sediment accessibility. Such information in combination with a sediment fingerprinting approach assists managers to plan appropriate approaches for achieving the desired sediment (dis)connectivity.

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Modelling of sediment supply from torrent catchments in the Western Alps using the sediment contributing area (SCA) approach

Abstract: The production of coarse sediment in mountain landscapes depends mainly on the type and activity of geomorphic processes and topographic and natural conditions (e.g. vegetation cover) of these catchments. The supply of sediment from these

Cited by 9 publications

References 47 publications

Statistical Modelling of Sediment Supply in Torrent Catchments of the Northern French Alps

Statistical Modelling of Sediment Supply in Torrent Catchments of the Northern French Alps

Special issue: German Society for Geomorphology

Analysis of sediment accessibility and availability concepts based on sediment connectivity throughout a watershed

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