Sediment transfer and the hydrological cycle of Himalayan rivers in Nepal

We present an analysis of daily water discharge and suspended sediment concentration measurements for the three main drainage basins in Nepal, on the basis of recent published papers. We first show how precipitation-discharge data can be used to highlight the impact of groundwater storage on the annual hydrological cycle of Himalayan rivers. Then, we show how the concentration of suspended sediment in rivers varies at the year scale depending on the river discharge cycle, as well as how the release of groundwater impacts the concentration of materials in rivers. Finally, we propose a new conceptual model for the mobilization and transportation of material within the monsoonal discharge cycle in the central Himalayas.