Abstract
Two-component hydrograph separation using oxygen-18 concentrations was conducted at a sediment runoff observation weir installed in a small subcatchment of a forested gneiss catchment in Japan. The mean soil thickness of this catchment is 7.27 m, which comprises 3.29 m of brown forest soil (A and B layers) and a 3.98-m layer of heavily weathered gneiss. Data were collected for a storm on 20–21 May 2003, and the percentage of event water separated by the stable isotope ratio in comparison with the total rainfall amount was about 1%. This value is within the ratio of a riparian zone in a drainage area. Temporal variation of suspended sediment concentration exhibited higher correlation with the event water component than with the total runoff or pre-event water component. This shows that the riparian zone causes rainwater to flow out quickly during a rain event, and that this is an important area of sediment production and transportation in a forested headwater with thick soil and weathered gneiss layers.
Highlights
Soil sediment discharge from a forested catchment has been studied for over 60 years [1,2,3]
This research simultaneously observed the temporal change of the stable isotope ratio of stream water and suspended sediment (SS) concentration during storm runoff in a small, forested catchment
The source area in a riparian zone is changed for every rainfall event, it is probably decided by intensity of rainfall and antecedent moisture conditions
Summary
Soil sediment discharge from a forested catchment has been studied for over 60 years [1,2,3]. Few reports of work exist in which the variations of component separation by stable isotope ratio and SS concentration have been observed simultaneously by such research. This research simultaneously observed the temporal change of the stable isotope ratio of stream water and SS concentration during storm runoff in a small, forested catchment. The spring point and stream channel are not classified as the riparian zone, but such areas are relatively small and they are included within the definition in this paper. The results of this research could be expected to be useful in clarifying the function of water and soil movement in a riparian zone of a small, headwater catchment with thick soil and weathered gneiss layers
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