Pathways of water and sediment from source-to-sink under changing climate, anthropogenic impacts and other disturbances

Abstract

Denudation, including both chemical and mechanical processes, is of high relevance for Earth surface and landscape development and the transfer of solutes and sediments from headwater systems through main stem of drainage basin systems to the world oceans. Denudational hillslope and fluvial processes and associated source-to-sink fluxes and sedimentary budgets are controlled by a range of environmental drivers and can be significantly affected by climate change and anthropogenic activities. The better understanding of possible effects of ongoing and accelerated environmental changes (including large-scale damming, hydrological change, and sediment mining) on present-day denudation requires systematic and quantitative studies on the actual drivers of denudational processes. Only if we have an improved quantitative knowledge of the drivers and rates of contemporary denudational hillslope and fluvial processes, as well as of the connectivity in landscapes and between hillslope and fluvial systems across a range of different spatio-temporal scales and selected climatic zones, can the possible effects of climatic changes and anthropogenic impacts and other disturbances be better assessed. This session includes scientific contributions on denudational hillslope and fluvial processes, mass transfers, sedimentary budgets and landscape responses to ongoing and accelerated environmental changes in different climatic zones. Oral and poster contributions cover a wide range of different spatial scales, from hillslope and small headwater systems to large drainage basin systems. The session brings together and discusses a wide range of advanced techniques and methods of data collection and generation, including field-based, laboratory-based, remotely-sensed and dating techniques together with various approaches and methods of data analysis and geomorphologic modelling. The session seeks not only to identify the causes and drivers of changes in water, sediment and solute fluxes from "source-to-sink", but to also includes studies that present options for future sustainable management that recognise the particular characteristics and challenges of these complex systems.