Title: Sediment yield modelling at micro-basin and basin scales in semi-arid regions of Brazil
Abstract: Four distributed models, two event-oriented, KINEROS2 and WESP, and two continuous models, SHETRAN and MOSESS_D, have been utilized to investigate their capability in simulating hortonian flows, typical of semi-arid environments, and soil erosion in northeast semi-arid areas of Brazil. Parameters of the models were first determined for vegetated and non-vegetated plots (100 m 2 ) of the experimental basin of Sume (EBS) located within the representative basin of Sume' (RBS) in the state of Paraiba. For the event oriented models they were calibrated by comparing models results with observed values, while for the continuous models they were fixed, based on field data and used unchanged to simulate micro-basins (0.5-1.0 ha) and basin responses (10-140 km2) of the RBS. The MOSESS_D model was also applied to one sub-basin (19 km 2 ) of the representative basin of Taua (RBT), in the semi-arid region of the state of Ceara, as a validation test. In general, models results approached the observed values, which indicate that they would be useful in the semi-arid northeast Brazil. Good runoff results were obtained with the continuous models implying their suitability for simulating the dynamics of ephemeral rivers in the investigated areas, but the observed sediments were better approached by the event models. The sediment yields simulated with the continuous models decreased as basin area increased, at rates (1000-10 t km -2 year -1 ) comparable with those in other river systems worldwide.
Publication Year: 2008
Publication Date: 2008-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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