A) Conceptual questions (40 points, ~ 40 minutes)

Problem 1: Geomorphic concepts of landscape change (10 pts)

• List the six geomorphic concepts of landscape change and briefly explain each concept.

Problem 2: What is hillslope erosion? (10 pts)

• Explain (sketch) the terms sediment production, soil loss and sediment yield.
• What is the sediment delivery ratio?

Problem 3: Sediment budget (10 pts)

• Describe (sketch) what a sediment budget is?
• Explain the main methods how sediment budget terms can be estimated.

Problem 4: Floodplain forests (10 pts)

• Which are the 3 key elements for a healthy floodplain forest?
• Describe the role of hydrological events for tree establishment.

B: Methods (40 points, ~ 30 minutes)

Problem 5: Pathway-based erosion-deposition modeling (20 pts)

• What is the USLE / RUSLE concept (definition, parameters, what is calculated)?
• Describe the concept behind planar models and sketch how they work.

Problem 6: Sediment continuity (20 pts)

• Write down the equation for sediment continuity (including description of all parameters and
units).
• Next page: Given parameters: A) Tc (m2/s) = transport capacity of hillslope per unit width and Gpot
(m2/s) = potential erosion rate from hillslope and upstream channel per unit width. B) Land use
and slope. Draw the expected erosion rate e(t) and deposition rate d(t) in C). Determine exactly
where erosion and deposition have to start and end.

C: Calculation part – Sediment budget (20 points, ~ 20 minutes)

 
A watershed with an area of 5 km2, mean channel width of 4 m, drainage density of 2 km/km2 and a
mean hillslope S of 15% has a gauging station at the outlet of the basin. Long-time series have shown
that the mean annual discharge Q at the outlet is 0.8 m3/s. The total sediment flux QS (fine sediment
+ coarse material) can be determined by a sediment rating curve that is based on long-term meas-
urements: 𝑄𝑆 = 0.0003 ⋅ 𝑆 !.! ⋅ 𝑄!.! , where Q is in m3/s and S is in m/m. The sediment delivery ratio of
fine sediment material from upland erosion and fine hillslope material at the outlet of the basin is
0.4. The sediment delivery ratio of coarse bedload from channel erosion at the basin outlet is as-
sumed to be 0.9.
• Calculate the total yield Y at the outlet of the basin in m3/yr and mm/yr. [2621 m3/yr, 0.52 mm/yr]
• Calculate the fine sediment yield Ys and the yield of coarse material Yb at the outlet of the water-
shed in m3/yr. Calculate their fractions (which one is bigger?). [Ys = 1021 m3/yr, Yb = 1600 m/3/yr]
• Calculate the mean annual channel erosion rate in m/yr, taking into account the drainage density
and the mean channel width of the basin. [0.028 m/yr]