PICO
Soil erosion and the subsequent transfer of sediments and associated contaminants, including nutrients, heavy metals, pesticides, and organic compounds, are key drivers of water quality degradation, ecosystem functioning, and biogeochemical cycles. Intensifying climate extremes and land use pressures are accelerating erosion processes and altering sediment source to sink pathways, highlighting the need for integrated soil and water management approaches.
This session focuses on the continuum from soil erosion on hillslopes and agricultural lands, through sediment transport within river networks, to deposition and transformation in floodplains, lakes, and reservoirs. Contributions addressing physical, chemical, and biological processes controlling erosion, sediment connectivity, transport, storage, and contaminant fate across spatial and temporal scales are particularly encouraged.
A key highlight of this session is the application of next generation tools to address these challenges. We particularly welcome contributions showcasing:
- Innovative Monitoring: Remote sensing using Sentinel and Landsat missions, high resolution field sensors, tracers, and novel low cost or open-source measurement techniques for erosion and sediment dynamics.
- Advanced Modelling: Process based and empirical models such as SWAT and InVEST, combined with artificial intelligence, machine learning, and cloud computing platforms including Google Earth Engine to improve prediction, scaling, and uncertainty assessment.
- System Dynamics: Sediment budgets, archive analysis, source attribution, and the influence of human interventions such as hydropower, river regulation, flood management, and soil conservation policies.
- Ecosystem Impacts: Responses of riparian, hyporheic, riverine, and lacustrine ecosystems to changing erosion rates, sediment fluxes, and contaminant loads.
This interdisciplinary session aims to bring together soil scientists, geomorphologists, hydrologists, ecologists, and data scientists to advance understanding and management of erosion driven sediment and contaminant dynamics in a changing environment.