The storage of bed material in mountain stream channels as assessed using Optically Stimulated Luminescence dating

A detailed understanding of channel forming and maintenance processes in mountain streams requires some measurement and/or prediction of bed load transport and sediment mobility. Traditional field based measurements of such processes are problematic because of the high formative discharges characteristic of such streams. The application of Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating is proposed here as a new way of determining actual residency times of fine sediments and consequently validating selected predictions for the entrainment of sediment in these streams. Model predictions of sediment mobility for selected step-pool and plane-bed channels in a mountain catchment in south eastern Australia are initially calculated using equations of hydraulic competence and the one-dimensional HEC-RAS model. Results indicate that floods exceeding bankfull with recurrence intervals up to 13 years are competent to mobilise the maximum overlying surface grain sizes at both sites. OSL minimum age model results from 7 samples of well bleached quartz in the fine matrix particles indicate general agreement with selected competence equations. The apparent long (100–1400 y) burial age of most of the mineral quartz, however, suggests that competent flows are not able to flush all subsurface fine-bed material. The depth of maximum bed load exchange (flushing) was limited to ≤ twice the depth of the overlying D90 grain size. Application of OSL in this study provides important insight into the nature of storage and flushing of matrix material in mountain streams.