How might sediment connectivity change in space and time?
Authored by Etienne Cossart, Vincent Viel, Candide Lissak, Romain Reulier, Mathieu Fressard, Daniel Delahaye
Date Published: 2018
DOI: 10.1002/ldr.3022
Sponsors:
French National Research Agency (ANR)
Platforms:
NetLogo
Model Documentation:
Other Narrative
Flow charts
Model Code URLs:
Model code not found
Abstract
Many authors focus on the concept of sediment connectivity to predict
the sedimentary signal delivered at catchment outlets. In this
framework, the sedimentary signal is seen as an emergent aggregation of
local links and interactions. The challenge is then to open black boxes
that remain within a sediment cascade, which requires both accurate
geomorphic investigations in the field (reconstruction of sequences of
geomorphic evolution and description of sediment routes) and the
development of tools dedicated to the modeling of sediment cascades. On
the basis of study cases in various environmental regimes (high-energy
mountainous environment and agricultural lowland catchments), in this
paper, we (a) exhibit some spatial and temporal paradoxes in terms of
sediment delivery and (b) develop various modeling procedures to test
some hypothesis of interpretations. These modeling approaches explore
different components of sediment connectivity at the catchment scale,
including graph theory, agent-based modeling, and differential
equations. Each protocol is chosen according to the scientific objective
and how the geomorphological system is simplified. Collectively, the
results show that connectivity is an efficient conceptual framework with
which to predict how a sediment cascade may transmit (or not) a
perturbation throughout the system, including local perturbations (local
sediment input, removal of a reservoir, etc.) and perturbations due to
external-boundary forces.
Tags
connectivity
Landscape
modeling
Simulations
Catchment
Cascades
Storage
Graph-theory
Environmental change
Geomorphic systems
Central british-columbia
Southern french alps
Delivery problem
Alluvial fans
(dis)connectivity