Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 4, 2025
06:06
Sediment Core Extrusion Method at Millimeter Resolution Using a Calibrated, Threaded-rod
Published on: August 17, 2016
11.3K
Sediment source fingerprinting and the temporal variability of source contributions
Ying Liu1, Des E Walling2, Mingyi Yang3
1State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.
Journal of Environmental Management
|April 5, 2023
Summary
Sediment source fingerprinting reveals significant temporal variability in sediment contributions from gully walls, cropland, and slopes. Understanding this variability is crucial for accurate sediment source apportionment and managing erosion in catchments.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Hydrology
- Geomorphology
Background:
- Sediment source fingerprinting is a valuable technique for understanding erosion processes.
- Limited attention has been given to temporal variability of source contributions and its impact on target sample representativeness.
- Temporal variations in source contributions can significantly affect the accuracy of sediment apportionment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the temporal variation of sediment source contributions in the Qiaozi West catchment, China.
- To assess the representativeness of target samples for short- and longer-term source contribution estimations.
- To compare temporal variability in the study catchment with global data.
Main Methods:
- Collection of 214 suspended sediment samples over two years during wet season rainfall events.
- Analysis of geochemical properties as sediment fingerprints.
- Application of standard source apportionment calculations and comparison with published data.
Main Results:
- Gully walls (54.5%) were the primary sediment source, followed by cropland (37.3%) and gully slopes (6.6%).
- Significant temporal variability was observed in source contributions, with cropland ranging from 8.3% to 60.4% and gully walls from 22.9% to 85.8%.
- Global data analysis confirmed similar temporal variability (30-70% ranges) in other catchments worldwide.
Conclusions:
- Temporal variability in sediment source contributions is a significant factor influencing the uncertainty of fingerprinting studies.
- Current sampling strategies may not fully capture this variability, impacting the reliability of source apportionment.
- Future research should focus on optimizing sampling designs and accounting for temporal uncertainty in sediment source fingerprinting.
