Title | Hillslope erosion and post-fire sediment trapping at Mount Bold, South Australia |
Publication Type | Conference Proceedings |
Year of Conference | 2012 |
Authors | Morris, R, Dragovich, D, Ostendorf, B |
Conference Name | Wildfire and Water Quality: Processes, Impacts and Challenges |
Date Published | June 2012 |
Conference Location | Banf, Canada |
Abstract | Successful placement of sediment traps requires an understanding of how hillslope morphology
influences erosion. Following the 2007 Mount Bold wildfire, in South Australia, a 1 in 5 year rainfall event
resulted in the failure of many sediment traps due to substantial sediment movement within the reservoir reserve.
This study assesses how hillslope morphology can influence post-fire surface erosion and the subsequent
appropriate placement of sediment traps. Erosion pins and sediment traps were used at five different sites to
measure hillslope surface change and trapped sediment volumes. Terrestrial laser scanning was used to model
surface change where slope gradients are 1:2 or greater. Surface change was assessed in relation to slope
gradient, slope length, cross-slope curvature, hillslope position and fire severity. The results suggested a
threshold for substantial increased sediment yield at slope gradients of 1:2. The findings also suggested that
concave cross-slope curvatures were associated with significantly larger amounts of sediment movement. |
URL | http://www.iahs.info/redbooks/a354/iahs_354_0042.pdf |
Refereed Designation | Refereed |