TY - JOUR A1 - Bronstert, Axel A1 - de Araujo, Josè Carlos A1 - Batalla Villanueva, Ramon J. A1 - Costa, Alexandre Cunha A1 - Delgado, José Miguel Martins A1 - Francke, Till A1 - Förster, Saskia A1 - Güntner, Andreas A1 - Lopez-Tarazon, José Andrés A1 - Mamede, George Leite A1 - Medeiros, Pedro Henrique Augusto A1 - Mueller, Eva A1 - Vericat, Damia T1 - Process-based modelling of erosion, sediment transport and reservoir siltation in mesoscale semi-arid catchments JF - Journal of soils and sediments : protection, risk assessment and remediation N2 - To support scientifically sound water management in dryland environments a modelling system has been developed for the quantitative assessment of water and sediment fluxes in catchments, transport in the river system, and retention in reservoirs. The spatial scale of interest is the mesoscale because this is the scale most relevant for management of water and land resources. This modelling system comprises process-oriented hydrological components tailored for dryland characteristics coupled with components comprising hillslope erosion, sediment transport and reservoir deposition processes. The spatial discretization is hierarchically designed according to a multi-scale concept to account for particular relevant process scales. The non-linear and partly intermittent run-off generation and sediment dynamics are dealt with by accounting for connectivity phenomena at the intersections of landscape compartments. The modelling system has been developed by means of data from nested research catchments in NE-Spain and in NE-Brazil. In the semi-arid NE of Brazil sediment retention along the topography is the main process for sediment retention at all scales, i.e. the sediment delivery is transport limited. This kind of deposition retains roughly 50 to 60 % of eroded sediment, maintaining a similar deposition proportion in all spatial scales investigated. On the other hand, the sediment retained in reservoirs is clearly related to the scale, increasing with catchment area. With increasing area, there are more reservoirs, increasing the possibility of deposition. Furthermore, the area increase also promotes an increase in flow volume, favouring the construction of larger reservoirs, which generally overflow less frequently and retain higher sediment fractions. The second example comprises a highly dynamic Mediterranean catchment in NE-Spain with nested sub-catchments and reveals the full dynamics of hydrological, erosion and deposition features. The run-off modelling performed well with only some overestimation during low-flow periods due to the neglect of water losses along the river. The simulated peaks in sediment flux are reproduced well, while low-flow sediment transport is less well captured, due to the disregard of sediment remobilization in the riverbed during low flow. This combined observation and modelling study deepened the understanding of hydro-sedimentological systems characterized by flashy run-off generation and by erosion and sediment transport pulses through the different landscape compartments. The connectivity between the different landscape compartments plays a very relevant role, regarding both the total mass of water and sediment transport and the transport time through the catchment. KW - Connectivity KW - Deposition KW - Erosion KW - Modelling KW - Sediment transfer KW - Semi-arid Y1 - 2014 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-014-0994-1 SN - 1439-0108 SN - 1614-7480 VL - 14 IS - 12 SP - 2001 EP - 2018 PB - Springer CY - Heidelberg ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lobera, Gemma A1 - Andres-Domenech, Ignacio A1 - López-Tarazón, José Andrés A1 - Millan-Romero, Pedro A1 - Valles, Francisco A1 - Vericat, Damia A1 - Batalla Villanueva, Ramon J. T1 - Bed disturbance below dams: observations from two Mediterranean rivers JF - Land degradation & development N2 - River-bed disturbance and associated sedimentary processes such as particle mobility are central elements to assess river ecosystem functioning. Dams change river dynamics affecting the magnitude and frequency of biophysical elements that depend on them. This paper examines the effects of two dams different in size, management, and location, on the flow regime, flood competence, and bed disturbance in two contrasting Mediterranean rivers, the Esera and the Siurana. For this purpose, two reaches on each river were monitored upstream and downstream from reservoirs. Several monitoring and modeling techniques were used to characterize flow competence, particle entrainment, and the volumes of sediments eroded and deposited after floods. The flow regime of the Esera has been modified from nivo-pluvial regime, typical of humid mountainous environments, to that observed in dry semiarid regions, in which high magnitude but low frequency floods are the dominant processes. Conversely, the flow regime of the Siurana has changed from a typical Mediterranean stream to a regime observed in more temperate environments, with more permanent and stable flows. Both rivers show notably physical changes, with channels clearly less dynamic below the dams. The lack of competent flows together with the sediment deficit associated with the dams has led to less active fluvial environments (reduced particle mobility and bed scour dynamics), a fact that affects instream habitat structure (more uniform grain size distribution, less physical heterogeneity, more stable flows), overall contributing to the degradation of the stream corridor and the subsequent environmental deterioration of the whole fluvial landscape. Copyright (c) 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. KW - flow regime KW - dams KW - bed disturbance KW - sediment mobility KW - Mediterranean rivers Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.2785 SN - 1085-3278 SN - 1099-145X VL - 28 SP - 2493 EP - 2512 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Fortesa, Josep A1 - García-Comendador, Julian A1 - Calsamiglia, A. A1 - López-Tarazón, José Andrés A1 - Latron, J. A1 - Alorda, B. A1 - Estrany, Joan T1 - Comparison of stage/discharge rating curves derived from different recording systems BT - Consequences for streamflow data and water management in a Mediterranean island JF - The science of the total environment : an international journal for scientific research into the environment and its relationship with man N2 - Obtaining representative hydrometric values is essential for characterizing extreme events, hydrological dynamics and detecting possible changes on the long-term hydrology. Reliability of streamflow data requires a temporal continuity and a maintenance of the gauging stations, which data are affected by epistemic and random sources of error. An assessment of discharge meterings' and stage-discharge rating curves' uncertainties were carried out by comparing the accuracy of the measuring instruments of two different hydrometric networks (i.e., one analogical and one digital) established in the same river location at the Mediterranean island of Mallorca. Furthermore, the effects of such uncertainties were assessed on the hydrological dynamics, considering the significant global change impacts beset this island. Evaluation was developed at four representative gauging stations of the hydrographic network with analogic (≈40 years) and digital (≈10 years) data series. The study revealed that the largest source of uncertainty in the analogical (28 to 274%) and in the digital (17–37%) networks were the stage-discharge rating curves. Their impact on the water resources was also evaluated at the event and annual scales, resulting in an average difference of water yields of 183% and 142% respectively. Such improvement on the comprehension of hydrometric networks uncertainties will dramatically benefit the interpretation of the long-term streamflow by providing better insights into the hydrologic and flood hazard planning, management and modelling. KW - Hydrometric networks KW - Stage-discharge KW - Metering KW - Uncertainty KW - Error propagation Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.02.158 SN - 0048-9697 SN - 1879-1026 VL - 665 SP - 968 EP - 981 PB - Elsevier Science CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Calsamiglia, Aleix A1 - Garcia-Comendador, Julian A1 - Fortesa, Josep A1 - Lopez-Tarazon, José Andrés A1 - Crema, S. A1 - Cavalli, M. A1 - Calvo-Cases, A. A1 - Estrany, Joan T1 - Effects of agricultural drainage systems on sediment connectivity in a small Mediterranean lowland catchment JF - Geomorphology : an international journal on pure and applied geomorphology N2 - Traditional drainage systems combining man-made channels and subsurface tile drains have been used since Roman times to control water excess in Mediterranean lowland regions, favouring adequate soil water regime for agriculture purposes. However, mechanization of agriculture, abandonment or land use changes lead to a progressive deterioration of these drains in the last decades. The effects of these structures on hydrological and sediment dynamics have been previously analyzed in a small Mediterranean lowland catchment (Can Revull, Mallorca, Spain, 1.4 km2) by establishing an integrated sediment budget with a multi-technique approach. Moreover, the recent advances in morphometric techniques enable the completion of this analysis by the accurate identification of active areas (i.e. sources, pathway links, and sinks) and improve the understanding of (de-)coupling mechanisms of water and sediment linkages. In this study, the Borselli's index of connectivity (IC; Cavalli et al. (2013)'s version) derived from a LiDAR-based high resolution DEM (>1 pt m−2; RMSE < 0.2 m) was used to evaluate the spatial patterns of sediment connectivity of the catchment under two different scenarios: (1) the current scenario, including an accurate representation of the 3800 m of artificial channels and levees (CS - Channelled Scenario), and (2) a hypothetical scenario in which these anthropogenic features were removed (US - Unchannelled Scenario). Design and configuration of the drainage system in Can Revull generated changes favouring lateral decoupling between different compartments, with hillslopes-floodplain and floodplain-channels relationships, showing a general decrease of IC values, and high longitudinal connectivity along the artificial channel network. Field observations corroborated these results: structures enabled rapid drainage of the water excess also promoting low surface runoff within the field crops, proving to be an effective management practice for erosion control in agricultural Mediterranean lowland catchments. By contrast, US demonstrated that the abandonment of the current agricultural practices and the subsequent destruction of the drainage system could lead the higher soil loss rates owning to more intense/effective processes of sediment connectivity. KW - Sediment connectivity KW - Traditional drainage systems KW - Catchment management KW - Soil erosion KW - LiDAR Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2018.06.011 SN - 0169-555X SN - 1872-695X VL - 318 SP - 162 EP - 171 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Pena-Angulo, D. A1 - Nadal-Romero, E. A1 - Gonzalez-Hidalgo, J. C. A1 - Albaladejo, J. A1 - Andreu, V A1 - Bagarello, V A1 - Barhi, H. A1 - Batalla, R. J. A1 - Bernal, S. A1 - Bienes, R. A1 - Campo, J. A1 - Campo-Bescos, M. A. A1 - Canatario-Duarte, A. A1 - Canton, Y. A1 - Casali, J. A1 - Castillo, V A1 - Cerda, Artemi A1 - Cheggour, A. A1 - Cid, Patricio A1 - Cortesi, N. A1 - Desir, G. A1 - Diaz-Pereira, E. A1 - Espigares, T. A1 - Estrany, Joan A1 - Fernandez-Raga, M. A1 - Ferreira, Carla S. S. A1 - Ferro, Vito A1 - Gallart, Francesc A1 - Gimenez, R. A1 - Gimeno, E. A1 - Gomez, J. A. A1 - Gomez-Gutierrez, A. A1 - Gomez-Macpherson, H. A1 - Gonzalez-Pelayo, O. A1 - Hueso-Gonzalez, P. A1 - Kairis, O. A1 - Karatzas, G. P. A1 - Klotz, S. A1 - Kosmas, C. A1 - Lana-Renault, Noemi A1 - Lasanta, T. A1 - Latron, J. A1 - Lazaro, R. A1 - Le Bissonnais, Y. A1 - Le Bouteiller, C. A1 - Licciardello, F. A1 - Lopez-Tarazon, José Andrés A1 - Lucia, A. A1 - Marin, C. A1 - Marques, M. J. A1 - Martinez-Fernandez, J. A1 - Martinez-Mena, M. A1 - Martinez-Murillo, J. F. A1 - Mateos, L. A1 - Mathys, N. A1 - Merino-Martin, L. A1 - Moreno-de las Heras, M. A1 - Moustakas, N. A1 - Nicolau, J. M. A1 - Novara, A. A1 - Pampalone, V A1 - Raclot, D. A1 - Rodriguez-Blanco, M. L. A1 - Rodrigo-Comino, Jesús A1 - Romero-Diaz, A. A1 - Roose, E. A1 - Rubio, J. L. A1 - Ruiz-Sinoga, J. D. A1 - Schnabel, S. A1 - Senciales-Gonzalez, J. M. A1 - Simonneaux, V A1 - Sole-Benet, A. A1 - Taguas, E. A1 - Taboada-Castro, M. M. A1 - Taboada-Castro, M. T. A1 - Todisco, Francesca A1 - Ubeda, X. A1 - Varouchakis, E. A. A1 - Vericat, Damia A1 - Wittenberg, L. A1 - Zabaleta, A. A1 - Zorn, M. T1 - Spatial variability of the relationships of runoff and sediment yield with weather types throughout the Mediterranean basin JF - Journal of hydrology N2 - Soil degradation by water is a serious environmental problem worldwide, with specific climatic factors being the major causes. We investigated the relationships between synoptic atmospheric patterns (i.e. weather types, WTs) and runoff, erosion and sediment yield throughout the Mediterranean basin by analyzing a large database of natural rainfall events at 68 research sites in 9 countries. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to identify spatial relationships of the different WTs including three hydro-sedimentary variables: rainfall, runoff, and sediment yield (SY, used to refer to both soil erosion measured at plot scale and sediment yield registered at catchment scale). The results indicated 4 spatial classes of rainfall and runoff: (a) northern sites dependent on North (N) and North West (NW) flows; (b) eastern sites dependent on E and NE flows; (c) southern sites dependent on S and SE flows; and, finally, (d) western sites dependent on W and SW flows. Conversely, three spatial classes are identified for SY characterized by: (a) N and NE flows in northern sites (b) E flows in eastern sites, and (c) W and SW flows in western sites. Most of the rainfall, runoff and SY occurred during a small number of daily events, and just a few WTs accounted for large percentages of the total. Our results confirm that characterization by WT improves understanding of the general conditions under which runoff and SY occur, and provides useful information for understanding the spatial variability of runoff, and SY throughout the Mediterranean basin. The approach used here could be useful to aid of the design of regional water management and soil conservation measures. KW - Synoptic weather types KW - Erosion KW - Sediment yield KW - Runoff KW - Mediterranean basin Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2019.01.059 SN - 0022-1694 SN - 1879-2707 VL - 571 SP - 390 EP - 405 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Estrany, Joan A1 - Ruiz, Maurici A1 - Calsamiglia, Aleix A1 - Carriqui, Marc A1 - Garcia-Comendador, Julian A1 - Nadal, Miquel A1 - Fortesa, Josep A1 - López-Tarazón, José Andrés A1 - Medrano, Hipolito A1 - Gago, Jorge T1 - Sediment connectivity linked to vegetation using UAVs BT - High-resolution imagery for ecosystem management JF - The science of the total environment : an international journal for scientific research into the environment and its relationship with man N2 - In this study, a low-cost unmanned aerial vehicle was used to obtain multi-spectral high-resolution imagery (1.4 cmpx(-1)) from2 microcatchments (3.3 ha) with burned Mediterranean shrubland and pine forests. This imagery was used to calculate the blue normalized differential vegetation index and to generate digital elevation models for estimating the sediment connectivity index. Both indices enabled an integrated approach for deciphering how hydrological and sediment connectivity interact with vegetation as well as soil conservation structures. The application of spatial analysis improves our understanding of the feedback between biological and geomorphological processes. Local spatial data analysis established a significant link between local geomorphological and biological factors, enabling a precise identification of homogeneous areas at micro-catchment scale and the minimal size of vegetation units reacting to geomorphology as natural groups at plot-scale where management strategies and efforts should be applied. Establishing this local relationship between sediment connectivity and vegetation patterns through new and interdisciplinary methodologies represents a new strategy for the assessment of ecosystem dynamics and management. KW - Ecogeomorphology KW - Mediterranean shrubland KW - Burned areas KW - UAVs KW - BNDVI KW - Sediment connectivity Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.03.399 SN - 0048-9697 SN - 1879-1026 VL - 671 SP - 1192 EP - 1205 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Park, Jungsu A1 - Batalla, Ramon J. A1 - Birgand, Francois A1 - Esteves, Michel A1 - Gentile, Francesco A1 - Harrington, Joseph R. A1 - Navratil, Oldrich A1 - Lopez-Tarazon, José Andrés A1 - Vericat, Damia T1 - Influences of Catchment and River Channel Characteristics on the Magnitude and Dynamics of Storage and Re-Suspension of Fine Sediments in River Beds JF - Water N2 - Fine particles or sediments are one of the important variables that should be considered for the proper management of water quality and aquatic ecosystems. In the present study, the effect of catchment characteristics on the performance of an already developed model for the estimation of fine sediments dynamics between the water column and sediment bed was tested, using 13 catchments distributed worldwide. The model was calibrated to determine two optimal model parameters. The first is the filtration parameter, which represents the filtration of fine sediments through pores of the stream bed during the recession period of a flood event. The second parameter is the bed erosion parameter that represents the active layer, directly related to the re-suspension of fine sediments during a flood event. A dependency of the filtration parameter with the catchment area was observed in catchments smaller than 100 km(2), whereas no particular relationship was observed for larger catchments (>100 km(2)). In contrast, the bed erosion parameter does not show a noticeable dependency with the area or other environmental characteristics. The model estimated the mass of fine sediments released from the sediment bed to the water column during flood events in the 13 catchments within 23% bias. KW - bed erosion KW - catchment area KW - filtration KW - sediment accumulation KW - sediment bed fluidization KW - sediment re-suspension Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/w11050878 SN - 2073-4441 VL - 11 IS - 5 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ozturk, Ugur A1 - Wendi, Dadiyorto A1 - Crisologo, Irene A1 - Riemer, Adrian A1 - Agarwal, Ankit A1 - Vogel, Kristin A1 - Andres Lopez-Tarazon, Jose A1 - Korup, Oliver T1 - Rare flash floods and debris flows in southern Germany JF - The science of the total environment : an international journal for scientific research into the environment and its relationship with man N2 - Flash floods and debris flows are iconic hazards inmountainous regions with steep relief, high rainfall intensities, rapid snowmelt events, and abundant sediments. The cuesta landscapes of southern Germany hardly come to mind when dealing with such hazards. A series of heavy rainstorms dumping up to 140mm in 2 h caused destructive flash floods and debris flows in May 2016. The most severe damage occurred in the Braunsbach municipality, which was partly buried by 42,000 m(3) of boulders, gravel, mud, and anthropogenic debris from the small catchment of Orlacher Bach (similar to 6 km(2)). We analysed this event by combining rainfall patterns, geological conditions, and geomorphic impacts to estimate an average sediment yield of 14,000 t/km(2) that mostly (similar to 95%) came from some 50 riparian landslides and channel-bed incision of similar to 2 m. This specific sediment yield ranks among the top 20% globally, while the intensity-duration curve of the rainstormis similarly in the upper percentile range of storms that had triggered landslides. Compared to similar-sized catchments in the greater region hit by the rainstorms, we find that the Orlacher Bach is above the 95th percentile in terms of steepness, storm-rainfall intensity, and topographic curvatures. The flash flood transported a sediment volume equal to as much as 20-40% of the Pleistocene sediment volume stored in the Orlacher Bach fan, andmay have had several predecessors in the Holocene. River control structures from 1903 and records of a debris flow in the 1920s in a nearby catchment indicate that the local inhabitants may have been aware of the debris-flow hazards earlier. Such recurring and destructive events elude flood-hazard appraisals in humid landscapes of gentle relief, and broaden mechanistic views of how landslides and debris flows contribute to shaping small and deeply cut tributaries in the southern Germany cuesta landscape. KW - Flash flood KW - Debris flow KW - Rainfall-triggered landslide KW - Hazard KW - Germany Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.01.172 SN - 0048-9697 SN - 1879-1026 VL - 626 SP - 941 EP - 952 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lobera, G. A1 - Batalla Villanueva, Ramon J. A1 - Vericat, D. A1 - López-Tarazón, José Andrés A1 - Tena, A. T1 - Sediment transport in two mediterranean regulated rivers JF - The science of the total environment : an international journal for scientific research into the environment and its relationship with man N2 - Mediterranean climate is characterized by highly irregular rainfall patterns with marked differences between wet and dry seasons which lead to highly variable hydrological fluvial regimes. As a result, and in order to ensure water availability and reduce its temporal variability, a high number of large dams were built during the 20th century (more than 3500 located in Mediterranean rivers). Dams modify the flow regime but also interrupt the continuity of sediment transfer along the river network, thereby changing its functioning as an ecosystem. Within this context, the present paper aims to assess the suspended sediment loads and dynamics of two climatically contrasting Mediterranean regulated rivers (i.e. the Esera and Siurana) during a 2-yr period. Key findings indicate that floods were responsible for 92% of the total suspended sediment load in the River Siurana, while this percentage falls to 70% for the Esera, indicating the importance of baseflows on sediment transport in this river. This fact is related to the high sediment availability, with the Esera acting as a non-supply-limited catchment due to the high productivity of the sources (i.e. badlands). In contrast, the Siurana can be considered a supply-limited system due to its low geomorphic activity and reduced sediment availability, with suspended sediment concentration remaining low even for high magnitude flood events. Reservoirs in both rivers reduce sediment load up to 90%, although total runoff is only reduced in the case of the River Esera. A remarkable fact is the change of the hydrological character of the River Lem downstream for the dam, shifting from a humid mountainous river regime to a quasi-invariable pattern, whereas the Siurana experiences the opposite effect, changing from a flashy Mediterranean river to a more constant flow regime below the dam. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. KW - Suspended sediment transport KW - Sediment load KW - Flow regime KW - Barasona Reservoir KW - Siurana Reservoir KW - Ebro basin KW - Mediterranean Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.08.018 SN - 0048-9697 SN - 1879-1026 VL - 540 SP - 101 EP - 113 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - López-Tarazón, José Andrés A1 - Lopez, Pilar A1 - Lobera, Gemma A1 - Batalla Villanueva, Ramon J. T1 - Suspended sediment, carbon and nitrogen transport in a regulated Pyrenean river JF - The science of the total environment : an international journal for scientific research into the environment and its relationship with man N2 - Regulation alters the characteristics of riversty transforming parts of them into lakes, affecting their hydrology and also the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics and dynamics. Reservoirs have proven to be very effective retaining particulate materials, thereby avoiding the downstream transport of suspended sediment and the chemical substances associated with it (e.g. Carbon, C or Nitrogen, N). The study of fluvial transport of C and N is of great interest since river load represents a major link to the global C and N cycles. Moreover, reservoirs are the most important sinks for organic carbon among inland waters and have a potential significance as nitrogen sinks. In this respect, this paper investigates the effects of a Pyrenean reservoir on the runoff, suspended sediment, C and N derived from the highly active Esera and Isabena rivets. Key findings indicate that the reservoir causes a considerable impact on the Esera-Isabena river fluxes, reducing them dramatically as almost all the inputs are retained within the reservoir. Despite the very dry study year (2011-2012), it can be calculated that almost 300,000 t of suspended sediment were deposited into the Barasona Reservoir, from which more than 16,000 were C (i.e. 2200 t as organic C) and 222 t were N. These values may not be seen as remarkable in a wider global context but, assuming that around 30 hm(3) of sediment are currently stored in the reservoir, figures would increase up to ca. 2.6 x 10(6) t of C (i.e. 360,000 t of organic C) and 35,000 t of N. Nevertheless, these values are indicative and should be treated with caution as there is incomplete understanding of all the processes which affect C and N. Further investigation to establish a more complete picture of C and N yields and budgets by monitoring the different processes involved is essential. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. KW - Suspended sediment KW - Carbon KW - Nitrogen KW - Temporal dynamics KW - Barasona Reservoir KW - River Esera KW - Ebro basin Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.06.132 SN - 0048-9697 SN - 1879-1026 VL - 540 SP - 133 EP - 143 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lopez, Pilar A1 - López-Tarazón, José Andrés A1 - Casas-Ruiz, Joan P. A1 - Pompeo, Marcelo A1 - Ordonez, Jaime A1 - Munoz, Isabel T1 - Sediment size distribution and composition in a reservoir affected by severe water level fluctuations JF - The science of the total environment : an international journal for scientific research into the environment and its relationship with man N2 - The reservoir sediments are important sinks for organic carbon (OC), the OC burial being dependent on two opposite processes, deposition and mineralization. Hence factors such as severe water level fluctuations are expected to influence the rate of OC accumulation as they may affect both deposition and mineralization. The Barasona Reservoir has been historically threatened by siltation, whilst the use of water for irrigation involves a drastic decrease of the water level. In this context, we have studied the physical and chemical characteristics (grain size, major and minor elemental compositions, organic and inorganic carbon, and nitrogen) of the recent sediments of the Barasona Reservoir and the relationships among them in order to: a) elucidate the main processes governing OC accumulation, b) evaluate the rate of OC mineralization and c) approach the effect of drought on the sediment characteristics in this system. Our results indicated that Barasona sediments were dominated by fine silts (>60%) and clays (>20%), the mean particle size decreasing from tail to dam. Desiccation increased particle sorting and size distribution became bimodal, but no effect on average size was observed. Attending to the composition, Barasona sediments were very homogeneous with low concentrations of nitrogen (TN) and phosphorus (<12 g kg(-1) dw and <0.6 g kg(-1) dw, respectively) and high concentration of OC (approximate to 36 kg(-1) dw). TN was negatively related to dry weight Sediment mixing due to drastic changes in water level may have favoured the observed homogeneity of Barasona sediments affecting carbon, major ions and grain size. The high amount of OC deposited in Barasona sediment suggested that the adsorption of OC onto fine particles was more important than in boreal lakes. The rate of oxygen consumption by wet sediment ranged from 2.26 to 3.15 mg O-2 m(-2) day(-1), values close to those compiled for Mediterranean running waters. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. KW - Sediment KW - Grain-size KW - Organic carbon KW - Respiration rate KW - Barasona reservoir KW - Drought Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.06.033 SN - 0048-9697 SN - 1879-1026 VL - 540 SP - 158 EP - 167 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Estrany, Joan A1 - López-Tarazón, José Andrés A1 - Smith, Hugh G. T1 - WILDFIRE EFFECTS ON SUSPENDED SEDIMENT DELIVERY QUANTIFIED USING FALLOUT RADIONUCLIDE TRACERS IN A MEDITERRANEAN CATCHMENT JF - Physical review : E, Statistical, nonlinear and soft matter physics N2 - Over short and long timescales, wildfires can be an important cause of hydrological and geomorphological change. Mediterranean rivers are part of a fire-prone and high-energy environment in which the timing of major storms in relation to fire influences the impact on fluvial systems; accordingly, the identification of major sources, stores and fluxes of sediments is essential for providing more effective post-fire management strategies. In this study, caesium-137 and excess lead-210 were used as tracers to quantify the proportional contributions of fine sediment from hillslope surface and channel bank sources to suspended sediment and channel bed deposits before the impact of a forest wildfire in Na Borges, a Mediterranean groundwater-dominated river. It also compared burnt and unburnt spatial sources of sediment within a single catchment and the extent to which burnt material was transported downstream. The study focused on two small and steep sub-catchments, where just one of the catchments was partially affected by a wildfire. The pre-fire dynamics indicated that surface soils were the main sediment source in these ephemeral creeks. Post-fire sediment dynamics were characterised by a single flood event with a short recurrence interval (i.e. return period ca. <1 year). Sediment generated from the burnt area contributed 12% on average to bed-stored sediments within the burnt catchment, which reduced downstream to 5% along the main channel of the Na Borges River. The findings demonstrate the potential for using fallout radionuclide tracers to understand the wider impacts of wildfires on fluvial environments located outside of the burn area. Copyright (C) 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. KW - wildfire KW - sediment delivery processes KW - sediment source fingerprinting KW - fallout radionuclides KW - Mediterranean fluvial systems Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.2462 SN - 1085-3278 SN - 1099-145X VL - 27 SP - 1501 EP - 1512 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER - TY - GEN A1 - Lopez-Tarazon, José Andrés A1 - Byrne, Patrick A1 - van der Perk, Marcel T1 - Transfer of Sediments and Contaminants in Catchments and Rivers Preface T2 - Journal of soils and sediments : protection, risk assessment and remediation Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-017-1810-5 SN - 1439-0108 SN - 1614-7480 VL - 17 SP - 2577 EP - 2581 PB - Springer CY - Heidelberg ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lopez-Tarazon, Jose Andres A1 - Batalla Villanueva, Ramon J. A1 - Vericat, Damia A1 - Francke, Till T1 - The sediment budget of a highly dynamic mesoscale catchment the River Isabena JF - Geomorphology : an international journal on pure and applied geomorphology N2 - The paper presents the sediment budget of the Isabena basin, a highly dynamic 445-km(2) catchment located in the Central Pyrenees that is patched by highly erodible areas (i.e., badlands). The budget for the period 2007-2009 is constructed following a methodology that allows the interpolation of intermittent measurements of suspended sediment concentrations and enables a subsequent calculation of sediment loads. Data allow specification of the contribution of each subbasin to the water and sediment yield in the catchment outlet. Mean annual sediment load was 235,000 t y(-1). Specific sediment yield reached 2000 t km(-2) y(-1), a value that indicates very high sedimentary activity, especially in the case of Villacarli and Lascuarre subcatchments, were most badlands are located. The specific sediment yield obtained for the entire Isabena is 527 t km(-2) y(-1), a high value for such a mesoscale basin. Results show that a small part of the area (i.e., 1%) controls most of the catchment's gross sediment contribution. Sediment delivery ratio (ratio between sediment input from primary sources and basin export) has been estimated at around 90%, while in-channel storage represents the 5% of the annual load on average. The high connectivity between sediment sources (i.e., badlands) and transfer paths (i.e., streamcourses) exacerbates the influence of the local sediment production on the catchment's sediment yield, a quite unusual fact for a basin of this scale. KW - Sediment budget KW - Sediment transport KW - Random forests KW - Quantile regression forests KW - River Isabena KW - Ebro basin Y1 - 2012 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2011.08.020 SN - 0169-555X VL - 138 IS - 1 SP - 15 EP - 28 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - López-Tarazón, José Andrés A1 - Batalla Villanueva, Ramon J. A1 - Vericat, Damià A1 - Francke, Till T1 - Suspended sediment transport in a highly erodible catchment : the River Isábena (Southern Pyrenees) N2 - Understanding and quantifying sediment load is important in catchments draining highly erodible materials that eventually contribute to siltation of downstream reservoirs. Within this context, the suspended sediment transport and its temporal dynamics have been studied in the River Isabena (445 km(2), south-central Pyrenees, Ebro basin) by means of direct sampling and turbidity recording during a 3-year dry period. The average flood-suspended sediment concentration was 8 g l(-1). with maximum instantaneous values above 350 g l(-1). The high scatter between discharge and suspended sediment concentrations (up to five orders of magnitude) has not permitted the use of rating curve methods to estimate the total load. Interpolation techniques yielded a mean annual sediment load of 184,253 t y(-1) for the study period, with a specific yield of 414 t km(-2) y(-1). This value resembles those reported for small torrents in nearby mountainous environments and is the result of the high connectivity between the badland source areas and stream courses, a fact that maximises sediment conveyance through the catchment. Floods dominated the sediment transport and yield. However, sediment transport was more constant through time than that observed in Mediterranean counterparts; this can be attributed to the role of base flows that entrain fine sediment temporarily stored in the channel and force the river to carry high sediment concentrations (i.e., generally in the order of 0.5 g l(-1)), even under minimum flow conditions. Y1 - 2009 UR - http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/0169555X U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2009.03.003 SN - 0169-555X ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Francke, Till A1 - Werb, Sandra A1 - Sommerer, Erik A1 - Lopez-Tarazon, José Andrés T1 - Analysis of runoff, sediment dynamics and sediment yield of subcatchments in the highly erodible Isabena catchment, Central Pyrenees JF - Journal of soils and sediments : protection, risk assessment and remediation N2 - The Isabena catchment (445 km(2)), Spain, features highly diverse spatial heterogeneity in land use, lithology and rainfall. Consequently, the relative contribution in terms of water and sediment yield varies immensely between its subcatchments, and also temporally. This study presents the synthesis of similar to 2.5 years of monitoring rainfall, discharge and suspended sediment concentration (SSC) in the five main subcatchments of the Isabena and its outlet. Continuous discharge at the subcatchment outlets, nine tipping bucket rainfall and automatic SSC samplers (complemented by manual samples), were collected from June 2011 until November 2013. The water stage records were converted to discharge using a rating curve derived with Bayesian regression. For reconstructing sediment yields, the data from the intermittent SSC sampling needed to be interpolated. We employed non-parametric multivariate regression (Quantile Regression Forests, QRF) using the discharge and rainfall data plus different aggregation levels of these as ancillary predictors. The subsequent Monte Carlo simulations allowed the determination of monthly sediment yields and their uncertainty. The Isabena catchment shows high erosion dynamics with great variability in space and time, with stark contrasts even between adjacent subcatchments. The natural conditions make water and sediment monitoring and instrumentation very challenging; the measurement of discharge is particularly prone to considerable uncertainties. The QRF method employed for reconstructing sedigraphs and monthly yields proved well suited for the task. KW - Mediterranean-mountainous KW - Non-parametric regression KW - Sediment yield KW - Water yield KW - Badlands Y1 - 2014 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-014-0990-5 SN - 1439-0108 SN - 1614-7480 VL - 14 IS - 12 SP - 1909 EP - 1920 PB - Springer CY - Heidelberg ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Brosinsky, Arlena A1 - Förster, Saskia A1 - Segl, Karl A1 - Lopez-Tarazon, José Andrés A1 - Pique, Gemma A1 - Bronstert, Axel T1 - Spectral fingerprinting: characterizing suspended sediment sources by the use of VNIR-SWIR spectral information JF - Journal of soils and sediments : protection, risk assessment and remediation N2 - Knowledge of sediment sources is a prerequisite for sustainable management practices and may furthermore improve our understanding of water and sediment fluxes. Investigations have shown that a number of characteristic soil properties can be used as "fingerprints" to trace back the sources of river sediments. Spectral properties have recently been successfully used as such characteristics in fingerprinting studies. Despite being less labour-intensive than geochemical analyses, for example, spectroscopy allows measurements of small amounts of sediment material (> 60 mg), thus enabling inexpensive analyses even of intra-event variability. The focus of this study is on the examination of spectral properties of fluvial sediment samples to detect changes in source contributions, both between and within individual flood events. Sediment samples from the following three different origins were collected in the Isabena catchment (445 km(2)) in the central Spanish Pyrenees: (1) soil samples from the main potential source areas, (2) stored fine sediment from the channel bed once each season in 2011 and (3) suspended sediment samples during four flood events in autumn 2011 and spring 2012 at the catchment outlet as well as at several subcatchment outlets. All samples were dried and measured for spectral properties in the laboratory using an ASD spectroradiometer. Colour parameters and physically based features (e.g. organic carbon, iron oxide and clay content) were calculated from the spectra. Principal component analyses (PCA) were applied to all three types of samples to determine natural clustering of samples, and a mixing model was applied to determine source contributions. We found that fine sediment stored in the river bed seems to be mainly influenced by grain size and seasonal variability, while sampling location-and thus the effect of individual tributaries or subcatchments-seem to be of minor importance. Suspended sediment sources were found to vary between, as well as within, flood events; although badlands were always the major source. Forests and grasslands contributed little (< 10 %), and other sources (not further determinable) contributed up to 40 %. The analyses further suggested that sediment sources differ among the subcatchments and that subcatchments comprising relatively large proportions of badlands contributed most to the four flood events analyzed. Spectral fingerprints provide a rapid and cost-efficient alternative to conventional fingerprint properties. However, a combination of spectral and conventional fingerprint properties could potentially permit discrimination of a larger number of source types. KW - Isabena river KW - Mixing models KW - Northeast Spain KW - Sediment fingerprinting KW - Spectroscopy KW - Suspended sediment Y1 - 2014 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-014-0927-z SN - 1439-0108 SN - 1614-7480 VL - 14 IS - 12 SP - 1965 EP - 1981 PB - Springer CY - Heidelberg ER - TY - CHAP A1 - López-Tarazón, José Andrés A1 - Bronstert, Axel A1 - Thieken, Annegret A1 - Petrow, Theresia ED - López-Tarazón, José Andrés ED - Bronstert, Axel ED - Thieken, Annegret ED - Petrow, Theresia T1 - International symposium on the effects of global change on floods, fluvial geomorphology and related hazards in mountainous rivers T2 - Book of Abstracts N2 - Both Alpine and Mediterranean areas are considered sensitive to so-called global change, considered as the combination of climate and land use changes. All panels on climate evolution predict future scenarios of increasing frequency and magnitude of floods which are likely to lead to huge geomorphic adjustments of river channels so major metamorphosis of fluvial systems is expected as a result of global change. Such pressures are likely to give rise to major ecological and economic changes and challenges that governments need to address as a matter of priority. Changes in river flow regimes associated with global change are therefore ushering in a new era, where there is a critical need to evaluate hydro-geomorphological hazards from headwaters to lowland areas (flooding can be not just a problem related to being under the water). A key question is how our understanding of these hazards associated with global change can be improved; improvement has to come from integrated research which includes the climatological and physical conditions that could influence the hydrology and sediment generation and hence the conveyance of water and sediments (including the river’s capacity, i.e. amount of sediment, and competence, i.e. channel deformation) and the vulnerabilities and economic repercussions of changing hydrological hazards (including the evaluation of the hydro-geomorphological risks too). Within this framework, the purpose of this international symposium is to bring together researchers from several disciplines as hydrology, fluvial geomorphology, hydraulic engineering, environmental science, geography, economy (and any other related discipline) to discuss the effects of global change over the river system in relation with floods. The symposium is organized by means of invited talks given by prominent experts, oral lectures, poster sessions and discussion sessions for each individual topic; it will try to improve our understanding of how rivers are likely to evolve as a result of global change and hence address the associated hazards of that fluvial environmental change concerning flooding. Four main topics are going to be addressed: - Modelling global change (i.e. climate and land-use) at relevant spatial (regional, local) and temporal (from the long-term to the single-event) scales. - Measuring and modelling river floods from the hydrological, sediment transport (both suspended and bedload) and channel morphology points of view at different spatial (from the catchment to the reach) and temporal (from the long-term to the single-event) scales. - Evaluation and assessment of current and future river flooding hazards and risks in a global change perspective. - Catchment management to face river floods in a changing world. We are very pleased to welcome you to Potsdam. We hope you will enjoy your participation at the International Symposium on the Effects of Global Change on Floods, Fluvial Geomorphology and Related Hazards in Mountainous Rivers and have an exciting and profitable experience. Finally, we would like to thank all speakers, participants, supporters, and sponsors for their contributions that for sure will make of this event a very remarkable and fruitful meeting. We acknowledge the valuable support of the European Commission (Marie Curie Intra-European Fellowship, Project ‘‘Floodhazards’’, PIEF-GA-2013-622468, Seventh EU Framework Programme) and the Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft (Research Training Group “Natural Hazards and Risks in a Changing World” (NatRiskChange; GRK 2043/1) as the symposium would not have been possible without their help. Without your cooperation, this symposium would not be either possible or successful. KW - natural hazards KW - mountainous rivers KW - floods KW - global change KW - geomorphology Y1 - 2017 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-396922 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Francke, Till A1 - Förster, Saskia A1 - Brosinsky, Arlena A1 - Sommerer, Erik A1 - Lopez-Tarazon, Jose Andres A1 - Güntner, Andreas A1 - Batalla Villanueva, Ramon J. A1 - Bronstert, Axel T1 - Water and sediment fluxes in Mediterranean mountainous regions BT - comprehensive dataset for hydro-sedimentological analyses and modelling in a mesoscale catchment (River Isábena, NE Spain) T2 - Postprints der Universität Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe N2 - A comprehensive hydro-sedimentological dataset for the Isábena catchment, northeastern (NE) Spain, for the period 2010–2018 is presented to analyse water and sediment fluxes in a Mediterranean mesoscale catchment. The dataset includes rainfall data from 12 rain gauges distributed within the study area complemented by meteorological data of 12 official meteo-stations. It comprises discharge data derived from water stage measurements as well as suspended sediment concentrations (SSCs) at six gauging stations of the River Isábena and its sub-catchments. Soil spectroscopic data from 351 suspended sediment samples and 152 soil samples were collected to characterize sediment source regions and sediment properties via fingerprinting analyses. The Isábena catchment (445 km 2 ) is located in the southern central Pyrenees ranging from 450 m to 2720 m a.s.l.; together with a pronounced topography, this leads to distinct temperature and precipitation gradients. The River Isábena shows marked discharge variations and high sediment yields causing severe siltation problems in the downstream Barasona Reservoir. The main sediment source is badland areas located on Eocene marls that are well connected to the river network. The dataset features a comprehensive set of variables in a high spatial and temporal resolution suitable for the advanced process understanding of water and sediment fluxes, their origin and connectivity and sediment budgeting and for the evaluation and further development of hydro-sedimentological models in Mediterranean mesoscale mountainous catchments. T3 - Zweitveröffentlichungen der Universität Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe - 547 KW - source siscrimination KW - transport KW - pyrenees KW - connectivity KW - sischarge KW - runoff KW - yield Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-419150 SN - 1866-8372 IS - 547 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bronstert, Axel A1 - Agarwal, Ankit A1 - Boessenkool, Berry A1 - Crisologo, Irene A1 - Fischer, Madlen A1 - Heistermann, Maik A1 - Koehn-Reich, Lisei A1 - Andres Lopez-Tarazon, Jose A1 - Moran, Thomas A1 - Ozturk, Ugur A1 - Reinhardt-Imjela, Christian A1 - Wendi, Dadiyorto T1 - Forensic hydro-meteorological analysis of an extreme flash flood BT - the 2016-05-29 event in Braunsbach, SW Germany JF - The science of the total environment : an international journal for scientific research into the environment and its relationship with man N2 - The flash-flood in Braunsbach in the north-eastern part of Baden-Wuerttemberg/Germany was a particularly strong and concise event which took place during the floods in southern Germany at the end of May/early June 2016. This article presents a detailed analysis of the hydro-meteorological forcing and the hydrological consequences of this event. A specific approach, the "forensic hydrological analysis" was followed in order to include and combine retrospectively a variety of data from different disciplines. Such an approach investigates the origins, mechanisms and course of such natural events if possible in a "near real time" mode, in order to follow the most recent traces of the event. The results show that it was a very rare rainfall event with extreme intensities which, in combination with catchment properties, led to extreme runoff plus severe geomorphological hazards, i.e. great debris flows, which together resulted in immense damage in this small rural town Braunsbach. It was definitely a record-breaking event and greatly exceeded existing design guidelines for extreme flood discharge for this region, i.e. by a factor of about 10. Being such a rare or even unique event, it is not reliably feasible to put it into a crisp probabilistic context. However, one can conclude that a return period clearly above 100 years can be assigned for all event components: rainfall, peak discharge and sediment transport. Due to the complex and interacting processes, no single flood cause or reason for the very high damage can be identified, since only the interplay and the cascading characteristics of those led to such an event. The roles of different human activities on the origin and/or intensification of such an extreme event are finally discussed. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. KW - Flash flood analysis KW - Forensic disaster analysis KW - Radar rainfall data KW - Extreme discharge data KW - Extreme event Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.02.241 SN - 0048-9697 SN - 1879-1026 VL - 630 SP - 977 EP - 991 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Francke, Till A1 - Baroni, Gabriele A1 - Brosinsky, Arlena A1 - Foerster, Saskia A1 - Lopez-Tarazon, José Andrés A1 - Sommerer, Erik A1 - Bronstert, Axel T1 - What Did Really Improve Our Mesoscale Hydrological Model? BT - a Multidimensional Analysis Based on Real Observations JF - Water resources research N2 - Modelers can improve a model by addressing the causes for the model errors (data errors and structural errors). This leads to implementing model enhancements (MEs), for example, meteorological data based on more monitoring stations, improved calibration data, and/or modifications in process formulations. However, deciding on which MEs to implement remains a matter of expert knowledge. After implementing multiple MEs, any improvement in model performance is not easily attributed, especially when considering different objectives or aspects of this improvement (e.g., better dynamics vs. reduced bias). We present an approach for comparing the effect of multiple MEs based on real observations and considering multiple objectives (MMEMO). A stepwise selection approach and structured plots help to address the multidimensionality of the problem. Tailored analyses allow a differentiated view on the effect of MEs and their interactions. MMEMO is applied to a case study employing the mesoscale hydro-sedimentological model WASA-SED for the Mediterranean-mountainous Isabena catchment, northeast Spain. The investigated seven MEs show diverse effects: some MEs (e.g., rainfall data) cause improvements for most objectives, while other MEs (e.g., land use data) only affect a few objectives or even decrease model performance. Interaction of MEs was observed for roughly half of the MEs, confirming the need to address them in the analysis. Calibration and increasing the temporal resolution showed by far stronger impact than any of the other MEs. The proposed framework can be adopted in other studies to analyze the effect of MEs and, thus, facilitate the identification and implementation of the most promising MEs for comparable cases. KW - modeling KW - sensitivity analyses KW - model enhancement KW - sediment Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1029/2018WR022813 SN - 0043-1397 SN - 1944-7973 VL - 54 IS - 11 SP - 8594 EP - 8612 PB - American Geophysical Union CY - Washington ER -