Assessment of surface runoff, accelerated erosion, and diffuse pollution potential in the Potengi River Watershed, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil

IF 1.5 4区地球科学 Q3 GEOSCIENCES, MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Journal of South American Earth Sciences Pub Date : 2025-10-14 DOI:10.1016/j.jsames.2025.105829

José Arthur do Nascimento Ramalho, Karina Patrícia Vieira da Cunha, Matheus Natan Ferreira Alves de Sousa, Caio Victor Macêdo Pereira, Lara Fernandes de Medeiros, Sofia Luiza Inácio da Silva, Carlos Wilmer Costa

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Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the potential for surface runoff, accelerated erosion, and diffuse pollution in the Potengi River Basin (PRB), with a focus on identifying priority areas for conservation and restoration. An integrated Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) methodology was utilized within a Geographic Information System (GIS) environment. This approach incorporated various geoenvironmental attributes, including geological units, slope, thickness of unconsolidated materials, permeability, drainage density, surface water storage features, landform shapes, rainfall, land use and land cover, soil erodibility, soil texture, and concentrations of available phosphorus (P) and organic matter (OM). The results indicated that the PRB is primarily characterized by low to moderate surface runoff potential, covering 98.44 % of the area. However, approximately 60.91 % of the area is at high risk of accelerated erosion due to factors such as steep slopes and highly erodible sandy soils. Additionally, around 38.96 % of the watershed area exhibited a high to very high potential for diffuse pollution, emphasizing the vulnerability of water resources and the need for integrated management strategies, including the restoration of riparian vegetation. The analyses highlighted the importance of implementing measures to mitigate the impacts of erosion and pollution, thereby promoting environmental sustainability within the PRB. Furthermore, the methodology was applied successfully to characterize these processes and can be replicated for other watersheds, especially in semiarid regions where environmental pressures and natural vulnerabilities are significant. Methodological innovations in acquiring certain attributes, such as surface water storage features, drainage density, and soil erodibility, along with the use of sand and clay fractions to assess soil texture in map algebra operations, contributed to the quality of cartographic representation. This improvement allows for a more accurate and well-founded spatial analysis.

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巴西北部大德州波坦吉河流域地表径流、加速侵蚀和扩散污染潜力的评估

本研究旨在分析Potengi河流域（PRB）地表径流、加速侵蚀和弥漫性污染的潜力，并重点确定保护和恢复的优先区域。综合多标准决策分析（MCDA）方法在地理信息系统（GIS）环境中使用。该方法结合了各种地质环境属性，包括地质单元、坡度、松散材料厚度、渗透性、排水密度、地表水储存特征、地形形状、降雨、土地利用和土地覆盖、土壤可蚀性、土壤质地、有效磷(P)和有机质（OM）浓度。结果表明：该区地表径流潜力以中低为主要特征，覆盖面积为98.44%；然而，由于陡峭的斜坡和高度可侵蚀的沙质土壤等因素，大约60.91%的地区面临加速侵蚀的高风险。此外，约38.96%的流域地区表现出高至极高的扩散污染潜力，强调了水资源的脆弱性和综合管理策略的必要性，包括河岸植被的恢复。分析强调了实施措施以减轻侵蚀和污染的影响的重要性，从而促进中华人民共和国内部的环境可持续性。此外，该方法已成功地用于描述这些过程，并可复制到其他流域，特别是在环境压力和自然脆弱性较大的半干旱地区。获取某些属性的方法创新，如地表水储存特征、排水密度和土壤可蚀性，以及在地图代数操作中使用砂和粘土组分来评估土壤质地，有助于提高地图表示的质量。这一改进使得空间分析更准确、更有根据。

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来源期刊

Journal of South American Earth Sciences 地学-地球科学综合

CiteScore

3.70

自引率

22.20%

发文量

364

审稿时长

6-12 weeks

期刊介绍： Papers must have a regional appeal and should present work of more than local significance. Research papers dealing with the regional geology of South American cratons and mobile belts, within the following research fields: -Economic geology, metallogenesis and hydrocarbon genesis and reservoirs. -Geophysics, geochemistry, volcanology, igneous and metamorphic petrology. -Tectonics, neo- and seismotectonics and geodynamic modeling. -Geomorphology, geological hazards, environmental geology, climate change in America and Antarctica, and soil research. -Stratigraphy, sedimentology, structure and basin evolution. -Paleontology, paleoecology, paleoclimatology and Quaternary geology. New developments in already established regional projects and new initiatives dealing with the geology of the continent will be summarized and presented on a regular basis. Short notes, discussions, book reviews and conference and workshop reports will also be included when relevant.