@article{fdi:010053455,
  title = {{S}ub-daily variability of suspended sediment fluxes in small mountainous catchments - implications for community-based river monitoring},
  author = {{D}uvert, {C}l{\'e}ment and {G}ratiot, {N}icolas and {N}emery, {J}. and {B}urgos, {A}. and {N}avratil, {O}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{A}ccurate estimates of suspended sediment yields depend on effective monitoring strategies. {I}n mountainous environments undergoing intense seasonal precipitation, the implementation of such monitoring programs relies primarily on a rigorous study of the temporal variability of fine sediment transport. {T}his investigation focuses on seasonal and short-term variability in suspended sediment flux in a subhumid region of the {M}exican {V}olcanic {B}elt. {I}ntensive monitoring was conducted during one year in four contrasting catchments (3 to 630 km(2)). {A}nalyses revealed significant temporal variability in suspended sediment export over various time scales, with between 63 and 97% of the annual load exported in as little as 2% of the time. {S}tatistical techniques were used to evaluate the sampling frequency required to get reliable estimates of annual sediment yield at the four sites. {A} bi-daily sampling scheme would be required at the outlet of the 630 km(2) catchment, whereas in the three smaller catchments (3-12 km(2)), accurate estimates would inevitably require hourly monitoring. {A}t the larger catchment scale, analysis of the sub-daily variability of fine sediment fluxes showed that the frequency of sampling could be lowered by up to 100% (i.e. from bi-daily to daily) if a specific and regular sampling time in the day was considered. {I}n contrast, conducting a similar sampling strategy at the three smaller catchments could lead to serious misinterpretation (i.e. up to 1000% error). {O}ur findings emphasise the importance of an analysis of the sub-daily variability of sediment fluxes in mountainous catchments. {C}haracterising this variability may offer useful insights for improving the effectiveness of community-based monitoring strategies in rural areas of developing countries. {I}n regions where historical records based on discrete sampling are available, it may also help assessing the quality of past flux estimates. {F}inally, the study confirms the global necessity of acquiring more high frequency data in small mountainous catchments, especially in poorly gauged areas.},
  keywords = {},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{H}ydrology and {E}arth {S}ystem {S}ciences},
  volume = {15},
  numero = {3},
  pages = {703--713},
  ISSN = {1027-5606},
  year = {2011},
  DOI = {10.5194/hess-15-703-2011},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010053455},
}