Factors influencing storm-generated suspended-sediment concentrations and loads in four basins of contrasting land use, humid-tropical Puerto Rico

The significant characteristics controlling the variability in storm-generated suspended-sediment loads and concentrations were analyzed for four basins of differing land use (forest, pasture, cropland, and urbanizing) in humid-tropical Puerto Rico. Statistical analysis involved stepwise regression on factor scores. The explanatory variables were attributes of flow, hydrograph peaks, and rainfall, categorized into 5 flow periods: (1) the current storm hydrograph, (2) the flow and rainfall since the previous storm event, (3) the previous storm event, (4) 2nd previous storm event, and (5) the 3rd previous storm event. The response variables (storm generated sediment loads and concentrations) were analyzed for three portions of the storm hydrograph: (1) the entire storm, (2) the rising limb, and (3) the recessional limb. Hysteresis differences in sediment concentration between the rising and falling limb were also analyzed using these explanatory variables.