Assessment of Variability in Fluvial Sediment Transfers in Kärkevagge (N-Sweden) during the last 50 Years

Abstract

The Kärkevagge (Abisko area, Northern Sweden) represents a focus research basin concerning geomorphic processes and sediment budgets for the last 50 years. Different geomorphic process studies provide comparative data sets concerning climate variability implications on sediment transfers. While monitoring of sediment transfers is discontinuous with respect to study periods and methods, a detailed chronology of high-magnitude events with significant sediment displacement is available. In continuation of these studies, investigations in 1995 and 1998 as part of the MOSAIC project (Modelling Of Snowmelt And Its Consequences) are concentrating on snowmelt-induced slushflow initiation and transports of sediments in several small headwater catchments during the snowmelt period. Main purpose of the investigations is to characterize different catchment sections in terms of their hydrologic and sedimentologic contribution to the total fluvial and sediment budget of the basin, and to evaluate their specific sensitivity related to changes in atmospheric boundary conditions. By means of these data sets, the temporal variability of fluvial sediment transfers can be assessed over different time scales. The paper focuses on a description of different sections in the fluvial sediment transfer system in Kärkevagge. By comparing results from recent field investigations with data from former studies, the significance of rainfall- and snowmelt-triggered events for sediment transfers is evaluated.