Modeling Sediment Yield for Watersheds in Inner Mongolia Section of Yellow River Based on the Runoff-Sediment Delivery Relationships

Abstract. Modeling sediment yield from watersheds in Inner Mongolia section of Yellow River is of great importance for quantifying the soil loss from the area and the contribution of sediment yield to the Yellow River. The hydrologic data from 15 watersheds in the area were used to quantify the runoff-sediment delivery relationships of watersheds and establish erosion model. The study area was divided into the Loess Area and the Rocky Mountain Area, with 6 watersheds and 9 watersheds respectively. There was a significant linear relationship between runoff depth and specific sediment yield in these watersheds at monthly time scale. The results indicated that the soil texture, climate index and watershed area were the most relevant factors to the runoff-sediment delivery relationships of watersheds. Two erosion models were established for the Loess Area and the Rocky Mountain Area respectively, with the test results showing that the two models had high mimic accuracy and applicability.