A rapid spectral-reflectance-based fingerprinting approach for documenting suspended sediment sources during storm runoff events | Journal of Soils and Sediments
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A rapid spectral-reflectance-based fingerprinting approach for documenting suspended sediment sources during storm runoff events

  • SEDIMENTS, SEC 3 • SEDIMENT MANAGEMENT AT THE RIVER BASIN SCALE • RESEARCH ARTICLE
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Abstract

Purpose

This paper reports on the development of a rapid and simple spectra-reflectance-based fingerprinting approach for documenting suspended sediment sources during storm runoff events. The methodology was applied in the rural Wollefsbach catchment (4.4 km2, NW Luxembourg).

Materials and methods

Different chemical properties of the sediment retained on glass fibre filters after filtration were predicted from VIS/NIR spectra (ASD FieldSpec-II spectrometer, 0.4–2.5 µm) through partial least-square regression models (PLSR). Chemical property values measured on time-integrated suspended sediment, bed sediment and potential sediment sources samples (topsoil and channel banks) collected in the catchment were used to calibrate the PLSR models. Appropriate properties were selected and used to apply the ‘spectral-reflectance-based fingerprinting approach’, in order to estimate the sources of the suspended sediment retained on the filters. Uncertainty associated with model predictions was assessed using an inclusive approach to mixing models based on Bayesian error estimation, incorporating tracer property variability using a Monte Carlo simulation technique.

Results and discussion

The methodology proved to be a useful, fast and easy to apply approach not only for studying the variation of suspended sediment properties during storm runoff events from spectra, but also for documenting the variation of suspended sediment sources during individual storm events.

Conclusions

The spectral-reflectance-based fingerprinting approach possesses considerable potential, since it possesses a number of important advantages over conventional source fingerprinting techniques, in terms of cost and time and labour requirements.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the ‘Ministère de l’Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg’. Some results were achieved with support from the INTERREG IVB North-West Europe project FORESTCLIM. The authors would like to thank A. Kies and Z. Tosheva from the Radiation Physics Laboratory at the University of Luxembourg for radionuclide analysis, the ‘Administration des Services Techniques de l’Agriculture’ in Ettelbruck (Luxembourg) for total C and N analysis, the Remote Sensing Department at the University of Trier (Germany) for the access to the spectral reflectance equipment, as well as J. Ziebel, C. Guignard and F. Barnich at the CRP-Gabriel Lippmann for their help with ICP-MS and P measurements. Thanks are also extended to C. Hissler, at the same research institute, and P.N. Owens, at the University of Northern British Columbia, for providing insightful comments on the research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environment and Agro-Biotechnologies, Centre de Recherche Public–Gabriel Lippmann, 41 rue du Brill, 4422, Belvaux, Luxembourg

    Núria Martínez-Carreras, Andreas Krein, Thomas Udelhoven, Jean F. Iffly, Lucien Hoffmann & Laurent Pfister

  2. Institute for Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDÆA), CSIC, Lluis Solé Sabarís s/n, 08028, Barcelona, Spain

    Francesc Gallart

  3. Department of Geography, University of Exeter, Amory Building, Rennes Drive, Exeter, EX4 4RJ, UK

    Desmond E. Walling

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  1. Núria Martínez-Carreras
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  2. Andreas Krein
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  3. Thomas Udelhoven
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  4. Francesc Gallart
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  5. Jean F. Iffly
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  8. Desmond E. Walling
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Correspondence to Núria Martínez-Carreras.

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Martínez-Carreras, N., Krein, A., Udelhoven, T. et al. A rapid spectral-reflectance-based fingerprinting approach for documenting suspended sediment sources during storm runoff events. J Soils Sediments 10, 400–413 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-009-0162-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-009-0162-1

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