Variability of Bed Load Transport During Six Summers of Continuous Measurements in Two Austrian Mountain Streams (Fischbach and Ruetz)

Abstract

AbstractPrevious measurements of bed load transport in gravel bed streams revealed a large temporal and spatial variability of bed load transport rates. Using an impact plate geophone system, continuous bed load transport measurements were made during 6 years in two mountain streams in Austria. The two streams have a snow‐melt and glacier‐melt dominated hydrologic regime resulting in frequent transport activity during the summer half year. Periods of days to weeks were identified which are associated with approximately constant Shields values that indicate quasi‐stable bed conditions. Between these stable periods, the position of the bed load transport function varied while its steepness remained approximately constant. For integration time scales of several hours to 1 day, the fluctuations in bed load transport decreased and the correlation between bed load transport and water discharge increased. For integration times of about 70–100 days, bed load transport is determined by discharge or shear stress to within a factor of about 2, relative to the 6 year mean level. Bed load texture increased with increasing mean flow strength and mean transport intensity. Weak and predominantly clockwise daily hysteresis of bed load transport was found for the first half of the summer period.