ABSTRACT:
A method is presented for quantifying erosion in mountainous catchments. Historical aerial photographs were used to measure elevation changes on all potential areas of erosion and deposition within a catchment. Total catchment erosion volume and the ensuing sediment supply rate were then calculated. The upper basin of the Waipawa River. Ruahine Range, New Zealand, is used as a case study area to demonstrate the method. There, the average annual specific sediment yield was 7,200 (± 2.000) m3/km2/year. The accuracies of measured elevations from common aerial survey scales are of the order of ± 1 m. Thus, the method can be applied successfully only in mountainous catchments that include areas prone to high erosion rates.
Footnotes
J. R. Dymond is a scientist in the remote sensing group at the Soil Conservation Centre, Aokautere, Ministry of Works and Development, Palmerston North, New Zealand. D. L. Hicks is a scientist in the Wellington District Office, Ministry of Works and Development. The authors thank P. J. Grant, who was instrumental in the conception of the technique discussed in this paper; the staff of the Photogrammetric Branch of the Department of Lands and Survey for the photogrammetric work; and M. J. McSaveney and P. J. Grant for their helpful comments on an earlier draft of this paper.
- Copyright 1986 by the Soil and Water Conservation Society
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