Numerical Investigation of Sediment-Yield Underestimation in Supply-Limited Mountain Basins With Short Records

Climate and sediment supply are critical for geomorphic systems. It is known that complex relations between such forcings and sediment mobilization may lead to dampened or erased environmental signals in sediment records. But it is unclear under which circumstances environmental signals are transmitted and measurable downstream. We used a numerical approach consisting of a sediment cascade model and a stochastic weather generator to quantify climate forcing effects under a range of sediment supply regimes in a debris-flow catchment in the Swiss Alps (Illgraben). We show that sediment yields estimated from short records are highly uncertain both in terms of mean and interannual variability. Furthermore, sediment yields tend to be underestimated in supply-limited systems, where also long-term memory effects, driven by the history of sediment storage, are evident. Consequently, determining geomorphic system response from short records may be grossly inaccurate and should be extended with sediment supply detection and uncertainty analysis.

Automated summary

This study investigates the effects of climate and sediment supply on geomorphic systems, and finds that sediment yields estimated from short records are highly uncertain, especially in supply-limited systems. Therefore, determining the geomorphic system response requires sediment supply detection and uncertainty analysis.