Repository logo

Infoscience

  • English
  • French
Log In
Logo EPFL, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne

Infoscience

  • English
  • French
Log In
  1. Home
  2. Academic and Research Output
  3. Journal articles
  4. Hydrologic controls on equilibrium soil depths
 
research article

Hydrologic controls on equilibrium soil depths

Nicotina, Ludovico  
•
Tarboton, David G.
•
Tesfa, Teklu K.
Show more
2011
Water Resources Research

This paper deals with modelling the mutual feedbacks between runoff production and geomorphological processes and attributes that lead to patterns of equilibrium soil depth. Our primary goal is an attempt to describe spatial patterns of soil depth resulting from long-term interactions between hydrologic forcings and soil production, erosion and sediment transport processes under the framework of landscape dynamic equilibrium. Another goal is to set the premises for exploiting the role of soil depths in shaping the hydrologic response of a catchment. The relevance of the study stems from the massive improvement in hydrologic predictions for ungauged basins that would be achieved by using directly soil depths derived from geomorphic features remotely measured and objectively manipulated. Hydrological processes are here described by explicitly accounting for local soil depths and detailed catchment topography. Geomorphological processes are described by means of well-studied geomorphic transport laws. The modelling approach is applied to the semi-arid Dry Creek Experimental Watershed, located near Boise, Idaho, USA. Modelled soil depths are compared with field data obtained from an extensive survey of the catchment. Our results show the ability of the model to describe properly the mean soil depth and the broad features of the distribution of measured data. However, local comparisons show significant scatter whose origins are discussed.

  • Files
  • Details
  • Metrics
Type
research article
DOI
10.1029/2010WR009538
Web of Science ID

WOS:000290107400001

Author(s)
Nicotina, Ludovico  
Tarboton, David G.
Tesfa, Teklu K.
Rinaldo, Andrea  
Date Issued

2011

Publisher

American Geophysical Union

Published in
Water Resources Research
Volume

47

Article Number

W04517

Subjects

Soil depth

•

Hydrology

Editorial or Peer reviewed

REVIEWED

Written at

EPFL

EPFL units
ECHO  
Available on Infoscience
January 28, 2011
Use this identifier to reference this record
https://infoscience.epfl.ch/handle/20.500.14299/63496
Logo EPFL, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne
  • Contact
  • infoscience@epfl.ch

  • Follow us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Instagram
  • Follow us on LinkedIn
  • Follow us on X
  • Follow us on Youtube
AccessibilityLegal noticePrivacy policyCookie settingsEnd User AgreementGet helpFeedback

Infoscience is a service managed and provided by the Library and IT Services of EPFL. © EPFL, tous droits réservés