Erosión y desertificación.-Sediment transport during the snowmelt period in a Mediterranean high mountain catchment

Abstract

ABSTRACT Transport of suspended sediment and solutes during the snowmelt period (May−June, 2004) in the Izas catchment (Central Pyrenees) was studied to obtain a sediment balance and to assess the annual importance of sediment transport. The results showed that most sediment was exported in the form of solutes (75.6% of the total); 24.4% was exported as suspended sediment and no bedload was recorded. Sediment transport during the snowmelt period represented 42.7% of the annual sediment yield