Discharge and sedimentation periodicities in small sized watersheds

We used wavelets to analyze the measured discharge and sedimentation during 2001 from the nested Agricultural Research Service watershed in Riesel Texas. Periodicities from wavelet spectra were interpreted in terms of experiments conducted on granular particle systems. Our time series analysis suggested (1) terracing in small watersheds can change nature of turbulence to an extent that sedimentation bears no relationship to flows; (2) fragmentation and shifting of sedimentation periodicities relative to discharge are common in upland erosion; and (3) sedimentation in transport flows displayed additional complex behavior involving recombination of discharge periodicities.