Predicting erosion rates in three small Calabrian catchments using Caesium-137 (137Cs) measurements. Theoretical approach and field measurements based on the re-sampling technique
Author(s)
Cogliandro, Vanessa
Date Issued
June 6, 2017
Type
Doctoral Thesis
Abstract
This PhD Thesis aims at monitoring and predicting erosion rates in three small Calabrian catchments
using 137Cs measurements (able to document rates of soil erosion for the past ca. 60 years) and an
improved theoretical approach proposed to exploit the potential of the 137Cs technique.
These catchments are equipped since 1978 for measuring rainfall, runoff and sediment yield. During the
period 1998-2001 several field campaigns was undertaken for a first application of the 137Cs technique
and for a comparison between the predicted values of erosion rates provided by the 137Cs measurements
(1954-2001) and the long-term values of measured soil erosion (from 1978 to 2001).
The activity carried out for this project is based on a second set of field campaigns within the same
catchments. This strategy, called Re-sampling approach, consists in repeating the same sampling
campaigns to recollect the soil samples, from the same sampling points, after many years. The new
measurements of 137Cs, looking back at an extended time window (1954-2015), allowed a comparison of
soil erosion rates for different periods.
The main results demonstrated that two of the three catchments showed a significant increase in net soil
loss in recent years but the third one provided no clear evidence of a change in net soil loss instead. These
were consistent with the records of annual sediment yield. The overall results suggest that the recent
period represents a period of changing sediment response within the study catchments.
Additional information
Dottorato di ricerca in Scienze, tecnologie e biotecnologie per la sostenibilità
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