Present-day denudation of a small alpine catchment of the Donguz-Orun lake
https://doi.org/10.55959/MSU0579-9414.5.80.4.9
Abstract
Sediment dynamics in alpine catchments is highly variable both in time and space which should be considered in nature management. The study deals with investigation of the alpine catchment of the Donguz-Orun Lake, located on the northern slope of the Central Caucasus. We followed a morphodynamic approach to assess the denudation rate, which was supported by sediment delivery ratio assessment and two independent methods to verify the results. It was found that about 29,300 m³ of material is mobilized annually by the background exogenous geomorphologic processes in the catchment, corresponding to a local denudation rate of 2,2 mm/year. However, with an average sediment delivery ratio of 58%, only about 17,000 m3 reaches the catchment outlet, corresponding to the basin-wide denudation rate of 1,3 mm/year. Most of the sediment load in the lake basin is supplied by fluvial processes, predominantly gully erosion and sheet wash, as well as rock falls, glacial, and fluvio-glacial processes. Verification by independent methods, including estimation of sediment volume in the lake basin and the sediment fingerprinting technique, showed that used approach did overestimate the basin denudation volume by about 3000 m3 . The total denudation of the catchment under study exceeds the average value for the high mountain zone of the Alps.
Keywords
exogenous processes,
sediment budget,
sediment delivery ratio,
sediment connectivity,
sediment fingerprinting,
Greater Caucasus
Supporting agencies: The study was financially supported by the Russian Science Foundation (project 23-77-01027).
About the Authors
M. I. Uspenskii
Lomonosov Moscow State University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
M.I. Uspenskii - Junior Scientifi c Researcher, Post-Graduate Student; Faculty of Geography, Laboratory of Geochemistry of Natural Waters; Makkaveev Research Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Channel Processes
S. V. Kharchenko
Lomonosov Moscow State University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
S.V. Kharchenko - Leading Scientifi c Researcher, Ph.D. in Geography; Faculty of Geography, Department of Geomorphology and Paleogeography
A. S. Tsyplenkov
Lomonosov Moscow State University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
A.S. Tsyplenkov - Scientifi c Researcher, Ph.D. in Geography; Faculty of Geography, Makkaveev Research Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Channel Processes
M. M. Ivanov
Lomonosov Moscow State University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
M.M. Ivanov - Senior Scientifi c Researcher; Ph.D. in Geography; Faculty of Geography, Makkaveev Research Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Channel Processes
V. N. Golosov
Lomonosov Moscow State University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
V.N. Golosov - Leading Scientifi c Researcher, D.Sc. in Geography; Faculty of Geography, Makkaveev Research Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Channel Processes
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For citations:
Uspenskii M.I., Kharchenko S.V., Tsyplenkov A.S., Ivanov M.M., Golosov V.N. Present-day denudation of a small alpine catchment of the Donguz-Orun lake. Lomonosov Geography Journal. 2025;(4):95-109. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.55959/MSU0579-9414.5.80.4.9
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