Subdivision on Erosion, sedimentation & river processes

Chair: Olivier Evrard

The subdivision on Erosion, Sedimentation and River Processes (ESRP) covers all aspects of research related to the detachment, transport, storage and redistribution of sediments spanning hillslopes to catchments, lakes and estuarine environments. It encompasses both measurement and modelling approaches, with emphasis on technique and model development as well as applications. We also cover research on sediment and associated contaminant sources, transport, transformations and re-mobilisation in river systems, catchments and lakes.

The subdivision is cross-disciplinary and spans other areas of hydrology as well as geomorphology, soil system sciences and biogeosciences. ESRP is differentiated from other areas by our core focus on the interaction of hydrological and sediment delivery processes, related methods and their applications to address important challenges in the management of land and water resources.

Topics covered

• Measurement of suspended sediment and bed load transport;
• Development and applications of catchment sediment tracing and source fingerprinting techniques;
• Approaches for quantifying sediment transit or residence times from reach to catchment scales;
• Sediment and associated contaminant sources, transport, storage and remobilisation;
• Biogeochemical controls of contaminant transport and transformations, and impacts on riverine ecosystems;
• Linkages between catchments and lakes or reservoirs in relation to sediment and contaminant transport, storage and release;
• Numerical modelling of sediment transport in open water environments, including rivers and estuaries as well as lakes and reservoirs;
• Development and applications of catchment models for simulating runoff, soil erosion and sediment transport;
• Geomorphological and hydrological drivers of flood risk, particularly interactions between sediment delivery processes and flooding;
• Effects of changes in land use/land cover on soil erosion and sediment and contaminant transport;
• Development of catchment sediment budgets based on measurement and modelling approaches;
• Simulations of climate change effects on soil erosion and sediment delivery processes;
• Impacts on soil erosion and sedimentation from agriculture, forestry, mining, urbanisation or disturbances such as wildfire;
• Soil erosion and sedimentation impacts on water-food-energy security and evaluation of conservation strategies for mitigating on- and off-site impacts.