A Review of Suspended Sediment Hysteresis

Abstract The study of sediment‐riverflow interactions during discrete hydrological events is vital for enhancing our understanding of the hydrological cycle. Hysteresis analysis, relying on high‐resolution, continuous monitoring of suspended sediment concentration (SSC) and discharge (Q) data, is an...

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Main Authors: Tongge Jing, Yi Zeng, Nufang Fang, Wei Dai, Zhihua Shi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-01-01
Series:Water Resources Research
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2024WR037216
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author Tongge Jing
Yi Zeng
Nufang Fang
Wei Dai
Zhihua Shi
author_facet Tongge Jing
Yi Zeng
Nufang Fang
Wei Dai
Zhihua Shi
author_sort Tongge Jing
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The study of sediment‐riverflow interactions during discrete hydrological events is vital for enhancing our understanding of the hydrological cycle. Hysteresis analysis, relying on high‐resolution, continuous monitoring of suspended sediment concentration (SSC) and discharge (Q) data, is an effective tool for investigating complex hydrological events. It captures differing sediment dynamic at the same discharge level, which results from the asynchrony between the hydrograph and sediment graph during different phases of the event. However, there has been no comprehensive review systematically addressing the utility and significance of hysteresis analysis in soil and water management. This review synthesizes findings from over 500 global studies, providing a detailed examination of current research. We trace the development and application of hysteresis analysis in hydrology, illustrating its role in classifying and characterizing events, as well as uncovering sediment sources and transport mechanisms. Furthermore, hysteresis analysis has proven effective in identifying critical hydrological events, offering valuable insights for targeted watershed management. Our spatiotemporal analysis of global hysteresis research shows that over 70% of studies are located in semi‐arid and Mediterranean climate zones, with an increasing focus on alpine and tropical regions due to climate change. This review also highlights critical limitations, including the scarcity of high‐resolution data, inconsistent use of quantitative indices, and limited integration of hysteresis patterns into predictive hydrological approaches. Future research should focus on developing region‐specific hydrological models that incorporate hysteresis dynamics, along with standardizing methodologies to apply hysteresis analysis across diverse climatic and geomorphic settings.
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issn 0043-1397
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spelling doaj-art-48c528bbfb054553a5b6507e27ec24e82025-08-20T02:36:42ZengWileyWater Resources Research0043-13971944-79732025-01-01611n/an/a10.1029/2024WR037216A Review of Suspended Sediment HysteresisTongge Jing0Yi Zeng1Nufang Fang2Wei Dai3Zhihua Shi4State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau Institute of Soil and Water Conservation Northwest A&F University Yangling PR ChinaState Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau Institute of Soil and Water Conservation Northwest A&F University Yangling PR ChinaState Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau Institute of Soil and Water Conservation Northwest A&F University Yangling PR ChinaState Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau Institute of Soil and Water Conservation Northwest A&F University Yangling PR ChinaCollege of Resources and Environment Huazhong Agricultural University Wuhan PR ChinaAbstract The study of sediment‐riverflow interactions during discrete hydrological events is vital for enhancing our understanding of the hydrological cycle. Hysteresis analysis, relying on high‐resolution, continuous monitoring of suspended sediment concentration (SSC) and discharge (Q) data, is an effective tool for investigating complex hydrological events. It captures differing sediment dynamic at the same discharge level, which results from the asynchrony between the hydrograph and sediment graph during different phases of the event. However, there has been no comprehensive review systematically addressing the utility and significance of hysteresis analysis in soil and water management. This review synthesizes findings from over 500 global studies, providing a detailed examination of current research. We trace the development and application of hysteresis analysis in hydrology, illustrating its role in classifying and characterizing events, as well as uncovering sediment sources and transport mechanisms. Furthermore, hysteresis analysis has proven effective in identifying critical hydrological events, offering valuable insights for targeted watershed management. Our spatiotemporal analysis of global hysteresis research shows that over 70% of studies are located in semi‐arid and Mediterranean climate zones, with an increasing focus on alpine and tropical regions due to climate change. This review also highlights critical limitations, including the scarcity of high‐resolution data, inconsistent use of quantitative indices, and limited integration of hysteresis patterns into predictive hydrological approaches. Future research should focus on developing region‐specific hydrological models that incorporate hysteresis dynamics, along with standardizing methodologies to apply hysteresis analysis across diverse climatic and geomorphic settings.https://doi.org/10.1029/2024WR037216suspended sedimenthysteresishydrological eventssediment graphhydrograph
spellingShingle Tongge Jing
Yi Zeng
Nufang Fang
Wei Dai
Zhihua Shi
A Review of Suspended Sediment Hysteresis
Water Resources Research
suspended sediment
hysteresis
hydrological events
sediment graph
hydrograph
title A Review of Suspended Sediment Hysteresis
title_full A Review of Suspended Sediment Hysteresis
title_fullStr A Review of Suspended Sediment Hysteresis
title_full_unstemmed A Review of Suspended Sediment Hysteresis
title_short A Review of Suspended Sediment Hysteresis
title_sort review of suspended sediment hysteresis
topic suspended sediment
hysteresis
hydrological events
sediment graph
hydrograph
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2024WR037216
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