Introducing seasonal snow memory into the RUSLE

Abstract

Abstract Purpose The sediment supply to rivers, lakes, and reservoirs has a great influence on hydro-morphological processes. For instance, long-term predictions of bathymetric change for modeling climate change scenarios require an objective calculation procedure of sediment load as a function of catchment characteristics and hydro-climatic parameters. Thus, the overarching objective of this study is to develop viable and objective sediment load assessment methods in data-sparse regions. Methods This study uses the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) and the SEdiment Delivery Distributed (SEDD) model to predict soil erosion and sediment transport in data-sparse catchments. The novel algorithmic methods build on free datasets, such as satellite and reanalysis data. Novelty stems from the usage of freely available datasets and the introduction of a seasonal snow memory into the RUSLE. In particular, the methods account for non-erosive snowfall, its accumulation over months as a function of temperature, and erosive snowmelt months after the snow fell. Results Model accuracy parameters in the form of Pearson’s r and Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency indicate that data interpolation with climate reanalysis and satellite imagery enables viable sediment load predictions in data-sparse regions. The accuracy of the model chain further improves when snow memory is added to the RUSLE. Non-erosivity of snowfall makes the most significant increase in model accuracy. Conclusion The novel snow memory methods represent a major improvement for estimating suspended sediment loads with the empirical RUSLE. Thus, the influence of snow processes on soil erosion and sediment load should be considered in any analysis of mountainous catchments.