Status: this preprint is open for discussion and under review for Earth Surface Dynamics (ESurf).
From XRD signal to erosion rate maps
Fien De Doncker,Frédéric Herman,Bruno Belotti,and Thierry Adatte
Abstract. Understanding the spatio-temporal dynamics of suspended sediment source activation is essential for effective ecological management, risk assessment, and infrastructure planning. Provenance analysis, which traces sediment origins, plays a crucial role in these applications, but is often based on costly fingerprinting methods. In this study, we validate a time- and cost-effective fingerprinting approach based on X-ray diffraction (XRD) data. We implement and compare two non-linear inversion schemes (steepest descent and Quasi-Newtonian) applied to binned XRD data and spatial information on potential source areas, in order to invert detrital mineralogical data into erosion rate maps while quantifying posterior uncertainty and error propagation. Forward-inverse tests with synthetic data demonstrate consistent convergence of the posterior solution. The application to real-world datasets further validates the practical utility and robustness of the model.
Received: 23 Sep 2025 – Discussion started: 06 Oct 2025
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Sediments carried by rivers can damage infrastructure, affect ecosystems, and alter landscapes, yet it is often unclear where these sediments come from, especially in regions hidden beneath ice. We developed a simple way to trace their origins by shining X-rays on crushed rocks and sediments. The resulting X-ray signals act like fingerprints that can be matched to source rocks, revealing where sediments come from and allowing us to map erosion across landscapes.
Sediments carried by rivers can damage infrastructure, affect ecosystems, and alter landscapes,...
