Elevational differences in hydrogeomorphic disturbance regime influence sediment residence times within mountain river corridors

Nicholas A. Sutfin () and Ellen Wohl
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Nicholas A. Sutfin: Colorado State University
Ellen Wohl: Colorado State University

Nature Communications, 2019, vol. 10, issue 1, 1-14

Abstract: Abstract High-elevation mountain streams are commonly viewed as erosive environments, but they can retain sediment along river corridors for thousands of years. In 2013, an extreme flood evacuated floodplain sediment in the Colorado Front Range, USA. We use fifty-two 14C ages collected along four streams prior to the flood to estimate mean residence time of floodplain sediment. Here we show that mountain streams above the elevation of the Pleistocene terminal moraine retain floodplain sediment for longer durations than those at lower elevation, but that wildfires may decrease floodplain sediment residence time at high elevations. Comparison of field sites and differencing of pre- and post-flood lidar show that valley confinement is a significant predictor of residence time, sediment flux, and floodplains disturbed by the 2013 flood. Elevational trends in floodplain disturbance regime also reflect differences in forest type, precipitation pattern, and wildfire regime, which are expected to shift under a changing climate.

Date: 2019
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-09864-w

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