Topographic controls on the annual runoff coefficient and implications for landscape evolution across semiarid Qilian Mountains, NE Tibetan Plateau  

作　　者：CAI Shun GENG Hao-peng PAN Bao-tian HONG Yang CHEN Li-ping 

机构地区：[1]Key Laboratory of Western China’s Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University

出　　处：《Journal of Mountain Science》2020年第2期464-479,共16页山地科学学报（英文）

基　　金：supported financially by the Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.41971001,41730637 and 41501002];supported by the Open Foundation of Research institute of Qilian Mountains

摘　　要：The combination of different topographic and climatic conditions results in varied precipitation-runoff relations, which in turn influences hillslope erosion, sediment transport and bedrock incision across mountainous landscapes. The runoff coefficient is a suitable tool to represent precipitation-runoff relations, but the spatial distribution of the runoff coefficient across tectonically active mountains in semi-arid environments has received little attention because of limited data availability. We calculated annual runoff coefficients over 22 years for 26 drainage basins across the semi-arid Qilian Mountains based on:(i) annual discharge records;and(ii) the China Meteorological Forcing Dataset to enhance our understanding of the precipitation-runoff processes. The mean annual runoff coefficients show no obvious spatial trends. When compared to potential controlling factors, mean annual runoff coefficients are highly correlated with mean slope rather than any climatic characteristics(e.g., mean annualprecipitation and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index). The slope-dependent runoff coefficient could theoretically have enhanced the topographic control on erosion rates and dampen the influence of precipitation. The enhanced discharge for drainage basins with less precipitation but steep topography in the western Qilian Mountains will enable fluvial incision to keep pace with ongoing uplift caused by the northward growth of the Qilian Mountains. The geomorphic implications are that tectonic rather than climatic factors are more significant for long-term landscape evolution in arid and semi-arid contexts.The combination of different topographic and climatic conditions results in varied precipitation-runoff relations, which in turn influences hillslope erosion, sediment transport and bedrock incision across mountainous landscapes. The runoff coefficient is a suitable tool to represent precipitation-runoff relations, but the spatial distribution of the runoff coefficient across tectonically active mountains in semi-arid environments has received little attention because of limited data availability. We calculated annual runoff coefficients over 22 years for 26 drainage basins across the semi-arid Qilian Mountains based on:(i) annual discharge records; and(ii) the China Meteorological Forcing Dataset to enhance our understanding of the precipitation-runoff processes. The mean annual runoff coefficients show no obvious spatial trends. When compared to potential controlling factors, mean annual runoff coefficients are highly correlated with mean slope rather than any climatic characteristics(e.g., mean annualprecipitation and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index). The slope-dependent runoff coefficient could theoretically have enhanced the topographic control on erosion rates and dampen the influence of precipitation. The enhanced discharge for drainage basins with less precipitation but steep topography in the western Qilian Mountains will enable fluvial incision to keep pace with ongoing uplift caused by the northward growth of the Qilian Mountains. The geomorphic implications are that tectonic rather than climatic factors are more significant for long-term landscape evolution in arid and semi-arid contexts.

关 键 词：Landscape evolution Precipitation-runoff process Qilian mountains Semiarid environments 

分 类 号：P333[天文地球—水文科学] P901[水利工程—水文学及水资源]