Geomorphology of the Sulden River basin (Italian Alps) with a focus on sediment connectivity

An area-wide digital geomorphological map consisting of 12,180 non-overlapping polygons was created for the Sulden river basin (South Tyrol, Italian Alps) with the purpose to carry out a GIS-based sediment connectivity analysis. Thirty-one landform types were defined with respect to their role within sediment cascades. As such, the classification and the related symbology partly differ from a traditional geomorphological map where several areal objects are frequently represented by scaled and rotated point symbols. The catchment (∼130 km²), exhibits a high geomorphological variability as well as relatively large glacierized areas. We used the geomorphological map for a first qualitative estimate of the main differences between the two major sub-basins concerning the components of the sediment cascades: while the Trafoi sub-catchment exhibits a high number of small landslides and debris flow channels (i.e. source and transport landforms), the Sulden sub-catchment is rather characterized by large proglacial and talus landforms (i.e. temporary storage landforms)

Multi-temporal analysis of morphological changes in an Alpine proglacial area and their effect on sediment transfer

Proglacial areas in high-mountain environments are among the most dynamic landscape zones in terms of morphological, sedimentological, and hydrological changes. In fact, in such areas both glacial and paraglacial dynamics exert a strong control on water fluxes (and thus on bedload transport capacity) and on sediment supply. Because of the rapid changes undergoing in these environments, the understanding of the dynamics of sediment transfer and the prediction of how this will change in future still remain a challenge. In this study, we used four different high-resolution topographic surveys to quantitatively analyse the spatio-temporal patterns of sediment transport that occurred in the proglacial area of the Sulden glacier (South Tirol, Italy). The topographic surveys covered the period 2013–2019 and – by building DEMs of difference (DoDs) – we calculated the volumes of erosion and deposition occurring at the glacier terminus and along its outflow channels. Our results indicate that, within the analysed time-period and for different areas, erosion and deposition generally show similar values, suggesting that the analysed proglacial areas has been acting both as a sediment trap and as a sediment source for the downstream river reaches. In addition, the results indicate a complex morphological dynamics, which have strongly impacted coarse sediment connectivity in the upper catchment. In particular, high temperatures and the recent and rapid glacier melt, have promoted a direct control on the structural connectivity within the proglacial area. Morphological changes have increased or decreased sediment connectivity depending on pre-existing morphological features. In contrast, extreme precipitation events, both in term of rainfall and snowfall, have locally and temporally increased the functional connectivity, sometimes leading to long-term modifications in the proglacial area. Overall, in the analysed time-period sediment transfer has been extremely dynamic, suggesting that sediment in the downstream river channel may have been supplied with irregular pulses associated with the morphological changes taking place in the proglacial area

Effects of catchment characteristics and hydro-meteorological scenarios on sediment connectivity in glacierised catchments

In the past decade, sediment connectivity has become a widely recognized characteristic of a geomorphic system. However, the quantification of functional connectivity (i.e. connectivity which arises due to the actual occurrence of sediment transport processes) and its variation over space and time is still a challenge. In this context, this study assesses the effects of expected future phenomena in the context of climate change (i.e. glacier retreat, permafrost degradation or meteorological extreme events) on sediment transport dynamics in a glacierised Alpine basin. The study area is the Sulden river basin (drainage area 130 km2) in the Italian Alps, which is composed of two geomorphologically diverse sub-basins. Based on graph theory, we evaluated the spatio-temporal variations in functional connectivity in these two sub-basins. The graph-object, obtained by manually mapping sediment transport processes between landforms, was adapted to 6 different hydro-meteorological scenarios, which derive from combining base, heatwave and rainstorm conditions with snowmelt and glacier-melt periods. For each scenario and each sub-basin, the sediment transport network and related catchment characteristics were analysed. To compare the effects of the scenarios on functional connectivity, we introduced a connectivity degree, calculated based on the area of the landforms involved in sediment cascades. Results indicate that the area of the basin connected to its outlet in terms of sediment transport might feature a six-fold increase in case of rainstorm conditions compared to “average” meteorological conditions assumed for the base scenario. Furthermore, markedly different effects of climate change on sediment connectivity are expected between the two sub-catchments due to their contrasting morphological and lithological characteristics, in terms of relative importance of rainfall-triggered colluvial processes vs temperature-driven proglacial fluvial dynamics

Bedload Fluxes in a Glacier‐Fed River at Multiple Temporal Scales

In mountain rivers, long-term observations of water and sediment fluxes are crucial for understanding the dynamics of bedload fluctuations. We analyze 7 years of continuous data gathered from eight geophone plates at a monitoring station in the glacier-fed Sulden/Solda River (South Tyrol, Italy) to estimate the bedload flux at 1-min scale. Sixty-five bedload samples were used to derive the calibration equations adopted to quantify the transported bedload mass. The signal power is proposed as a more effective metric than threshold-based impulses for calculating bedload masses. Results show (a) a remarkable variability of bedload rates for the same value of flow discharge, (b) the joint effect of storm-driven flood events and seasonal changes in sediment supply on bedload rates, and (c) the strong impact of climatic factors (i.e., temperature and snow cover) on bedload fluxes. Moderate bedload rates occurring in late spring/early summer are likely related to the mobilization of riverbed sediments, while sustained bedload transport during melt flows in July-August-corresponding to the effective bedload discharge range-is associated with the activation of glacial and proglacial sediment sources. The data set shows a complex climatic control on bedload transport at the basin scale, where precipitation, air temperature, and snow cover determine flow and glacier melting dynamics. These findings suggest how the effects of climate change in the Alps likely will lead to an increase in peak bedload rates in a context of declining annual bedload yields as melt flows will progressively reduce in the next decades

Meltwater-driven sediment transport dynamics in two contrasting alpine proglacial streams

Subglacial sediments are a large component of the sediment budget of glacierized catchments but insights into the subglacial origin of sediments (bedload, in particular) linked to proglacial runoff dynamics remain scarce. In this study, we use a tracer-based approach to quantify meltwater proportions related to sediment transport at two proglacial streams, draining glaciers (named debris-covered and clean glacier) of different size, aspect and elevation range with contrasting distribution and thickness of debris cover and lithology of the subglacial sediments (i.e., metamorphic vs. sedimentary), in the Sulden/Solda catchment (Italian Alps). Results indicate that the glacier melt component (75 to 80 %) was associated with bedload concentrations of 1 to 10 kg m−3 at the debris-covered glacier and much lower concentrations of 0.01 to 1 kg m−3 at the clean ice glacier. At the seasonal scale, bedload and suspended sediment concentrations at both sites strongly varied with discharge. While daily bedload concentrations varied by up to two orders of magnitude obscured the seasonal development of bedload concentrations at both sites, a clear seasonality for suspended sediment concentrations was found. At the daily scale, the relationship of discharge, bedload, and suspended sediment was more complex because discharge and sediment transport did not always follow the daily variation of air temperature, or similar daily air temperatures resulted in different discharge and sediment transport responses and vice versa. Glacier size, presence of debris cover, and substrate were identified as the main drivers of meltwater dynamics and sediment transport at both glaciers. This study adds further insights into the interplay of meltwater contributions and sediment transport, which are essential to better assess the impact of climate warming on sediment supply in glacierized catchments