Variability of sediment yield from a high mountain catchment, Central Spanish Pyrenees

7 páginas, 6 figuras, 2 tablas The Izas experimental catchment is located in the high Gállego Valley, Central Spanish Pyrenees, in an environment strongly affected by the presence of snow during at least six months of the year. Discharge and sediment transport variability are closely linked to snowm...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Alvera, Bernardo, García-Ruiz, José María
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: University of Colorado 2000
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/114889
Description
Summary:7 páginas, 6 figuras, 2 tablas The Izas experimental catchment is located in the high Gállego Valley, Central Spanish Pyrenees, in an environment strongly affected by the presence of snow during at least six months of the year. Discharge and sediment transport variability are closely linked to snowmelt and to intense autumn rainfalls. Following 11 yr of data collection, the seasonal and interannual variability of sediment transport has been estimated, as well as the relative importance of bedload, suspended sediment and solutes. The results obtained show that the total sediment yield is relatively low (between 200 and 320 t km -2 yr -1 ) and that solutes represent more than 60% of the sediment exported. Bedload, which in other mountain catchments reaches a great quantity, represents here, in general, less than 30% of the total sediment yield. Seasonal and interannual sediment transport variability is very high, mainly depending on the intensity of autumnal rainfalls. Peer reviewed