Die Bodenkultur - Journal for Land Management, Food and Environment

D. Viville, F. Chabaux, P. Stille, M.-C. Pierret and S. Gangloff:

Erosion and weathering fluxes in the granitic Strengbach catchment (Vosges massif, eastern France)

Summary

Regular observations of the suspended sediment and bedload flux and also analysis of the dissolved load have been realized at the outlet of the granitic Strengbach catchment over the period 2004–2010. The physical erosion flux exported out of the catchment is of 3.3 t·km-2·yr-1 and the erosion rate carried by the bedload (1.7 t·km-2·yr-1) can reach one third of the total erosion rate (5 t·km-2·yr-1). The net annual weathering flux calculated for the watershed can differ by a factor of two or more (from a weathering flux of basic cations of 4.76 t·km-2·yr-1 to an atmosphere-corrected flux of 2 t·km-2·yr-1). Compared to other granitic catchments, the weathering budgets fit the general trend defined between the weathering rate and runoff, and the relationship between weathering and erosion rates does not differ significantly. Key words: Suspended sediment load, physical erosion rate, chemical weathering rate, granitic catchments, Strengbach.