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From sedimentary records to sediment budgets: multiple approaches to catchment sediment flux. [In special issue: Climate and long-term human impact on sediment fluxes in watershed systems]

From sedimentary records to sediment budgets: multiple approaches to catchment sediment flux. [In special issue: Climate and long-term human impact on sediment fluxes in watershed systems]
From sedimentary records to sediment budgets: multiple approaches to catchment sediment flux. [In special issue: Climate and long-term human impact on sediment fluxes in watershed systems]
This paper reviews the traditional approach to sediment budget studies in geomorphology, new approaches and more specifically the potential impact of new methodological advances. Each component of the budget is discussed including the spatial and volumetric estimations of erosion, deposition and storage and the precision and accuracy of flux rate estimation. Examples are used from recent work in Germany, The Netherlands and the UK and include the pedogenic approach to erosion estimation, remote sensing (LiDAR), geophysics and sediment-based dating techniques for flux rate estimation. The precision and accuracy of catchment sediment flux estimates based upon sediment storage is not only dependant upon volumetric accuracy but also on the precision and accuracy of sediment dating. In this area there has been a revolution with direct sediment dating techniques (TL, OSL, ESR) freeing budget studies from the constraints and biases of radiocarbon. Of particular importance is the use of cosmogenic nuclides for dating but which can also be used to derive long-term erosion rates but only using a steady state assumption. Finally a tentative initial application of the sediment budget approach to Pleistocene terrace staircase in unglaciated basins is discussed. It is argued that only now do we have the techniques available to be able to produce accurate sediment budget estimations at spatial scales greater than that of zero order basins and over time periods greater than that covered by direct observations.
sediment budget, sedimentary records, sediment dating, alluviation, colluviation, fluvial terraces
0169-555X
35-47
Brown, Anthony G.
c51f9d3e-02b0-47da-a483-41c354e78fab
Christopher, Christopher
8439fcf4-0db1-47dd-835e-1a8d63400140
Erkens, Gilles
b871cb75-9802-4782-aa55-f6d7023a81fd
Fuchs, Markus
d6367482-6bbb-4b17-b69d-3742f74d2b27
Hoffman, Thomas
41938941-bb69-4abd-9c2f-673dae2efdbd
Macaire, Jean-Jacques
6e948d85-28b7-4c57-9a6b-8370a626b974
Moldenhauer, Klaus-Martin
59d41a5c-20a8-4619-9eba-7a92eb71e33c
Walling, Des E.
29d2985e-385b-41de-8909-1d030eea4037
Brown, Anthony G.
c51f9d3e-02b0-47da-a483-41c354e78fab
Christopher, Christopher
8439fcf4-0db1-47dd-835e-1a8d63400140
Erkens, Gilles
b871cb75-9802-4782-aa55-f6d7023a81fd
Fuchs, Markus
d6367482-6bbb-4b17-b69d-3742f74d2b27
Hoffman, Thomas
41938941-bb69-4abd-9c2f-673dae2efdbd
Macaire, Jean-Jacques
6e948d85-28b7-4c57-9a6b-8370a626b974
Moldenhauer, Klaus-Martin
59d41a5c-20a8-4619-9eba-7a92eb71e33c
Walling, Des E.
29d2985e-385b-41de-8909-1d030eea4037

Brown, Anthony G., Christopher, Christopher, Erkens, Gilles, Fuchs, Markus, Hoffman, Thomas, Macaire, Jean-Jacques, Moldenhauer, Klaus-Martin and Walling, Des E. (2009) From sedimentary records to sediment budgets: multiple approaches to catchment sediment flux. [In special issue: Climate and long-term human impact on sediment fluxes in watershed systems]. Geomorphology, 108 (1-2), 35-47. (doi:10.1016/j.geomorph.2008.01.021).

Record type: Article

Abstract

This paper reviews the traditional approach to sediment budget studies in geomorphology, new approaches and more specifically the potential impact of new methodological advances. Each component of the budget is discussed including the spatial and volumetric estimations of erosion, deposition and storage and the precision and accuracy of flux rate estimation. Examples are used from recent work in Germany, The Netherlands and the UK and include the pedogenic approach to erosion estimation, remote sensing (LiDAR), geophysics and sediment-based dating techniques for flux rate estimation. The precision and accuracy of catchment sediment flux estimates based upon sediment storage is not only dependant upon volumetric accuracy but also on the precision and accuracy of sediment dating. In this area there has been a revolution with direct sediment dating techniques (TL, OSL, ESR) freeing budget studies from the constraints and biases of radiocarbon. Of particular importance is the use of cosmogenic nuclides for dating but which can also be used to derive long-term erosion rates but only using a steady state assumption. Finally a tentative initial application of the sediment budget approach to Pleistocene terrace staircase in unglaciated basins is discussed. It is argued that only now do we have the techniques available to be able to produce accurate sediment budget estimations at spatial scales greater than that of zero order basins and over time periods greater than that covered by direct observations.

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More information

Published date: 1 July 2009
Keywords: sediment budget, sedimentary records, sediment dating, alluviation, colluviation, fluvial terraces

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 66213
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/66213
ISSN: 0169-555X
PURE UUID: 071c6355-4707-44b8-9eaa-72f555aa8fdc
ORCID for Anthony G. Brown: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-1990-4654

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 21 May 2009
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 02:52

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Contributors

Author: Christopher Christopher
Author: Gilles Erkens
Author: Markus Fuchs
Author: Thomas Hoffman
Author: Jean-Jacques Macaire
Author: Klaus-Martin Moldenhauer
Author: Des E. Walling

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