Intense rainstorms as drivers of lacustrine turbidity currents: implications for paleoflood records

Storm-induced turbidity currents

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.57035/journals/sdk.2026.e42.2473

Keywords:

Turbidity current, Sediment routing system, Paleoflood, ADCP, Storms

Abstract

Flood turbidites in lake sediments are widely used to reconstruct past flood activity, yet the physical link between flood hydrology, sediment transport, and the resulting deposit remains incompletely constrained. In this study, we investigate the mechanisms controlling turbidity-current initiation in the subaquatic delta of the Muota River (Switzerland) and how they are reflected in the sedimentary record of Lake Lucerne. We integrate hydro-meteorological observations from the catchment, in situ measurements of turbidity currents using moored acoustic doppler current profilers, and sediment cores spanning the last approx. 50 years of deposition. Comparing event deposits identified in the basin with gauged floods indicates that the largest floods show clear correspondence with thick, extensive turbidites, whereas the sedimentary imprint of moderate floods exhibits inter-event variability in thickness or is not consistently preserved. Monitoring data demonstrate that turbidity-current initiation is not controlled by river discharge alone but is governed by suspended sediment concentration, which in turn depends on rainfall characteristics and sediment mobilisation within the catchment. Short-lived, high-intensity precipitation events can generate sediment-rich inflows that trigger discharge-decoupled turbidity currents, whereas some higher but less turbid discharge peaks are not associated with turbidity-current initiation. This decoupling between discharge magnitude and sedimentary response may challenge the interpretation of lacustrine flood archives. Our findings emphasise that robust paleoflood reconstructions benefit from process-based calibration using modern monitoring data.

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Author Biographies

  • Gaétan Sauter, University of Bern

    PhD candidate at Institute of Geological Sciences, University of Bern, Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, Baltzerstrasse 1+3, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland.

  • Damien Bouffard, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, University of Lausanne

    Group leader at Department of Surface Waters - Research and Management, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 6047 Kastanienbaum, Switzerland.

    Associate professor ad personam at Faculty of Geosciences and Environment, Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland

  • François Mettra, Haute École Spécialisée de Suisse Occidentale - Valais

    Senior academic associate at Institute of Energy and Environment, School of Engineering, HES-SO Valais-Wallis, Sion, Switzerland

  • Koen Blanckaert, TU Wien

    Professor at TU WIEN Research Unit Hydraulic Engineering and Environmental Hydromechanics, Vienna, Austria

  • Stefano C. Fabbri, University of Bern, Federal Office of Topography swisstopo

    Senior Research Assistant at Institute of Geological Sciences & Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research

    Expert for geonergy at Federal Office of Topography Swisstopo, Seftigenstrasse 264, 3084 Wabern, Switzerland

  • Flavio S. Anselmetti, University of Bern

    Professor at Institute of Geological Sciences, University of Bern, Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, Baltzerstrasse 1+3, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland

  • Michael Hilbe, University of Bern

    Institute of Geological Sciences, University of Bern, Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, Baltzerstrasse 1+3, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland

  • Mathurin D. Wamba, University of Bern

    Institute of Geological Sciences, University of Bern, Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, Baltzerstrasse 1+3, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland

  • Adrianus Damanik, University of Bern, National Research and Innovation Agency

    Institute of Geological Sciences, University of Bern, Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, Baltzerstrasse 1+3, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland

    Research Center for Climate and Atmosphere, National Research and Innnovation Agency (BRIN), Bandung, Indonesia

  • Hendrik Vogel, University of Bern

    Professor at Institute of Geological Sciences, University of Bern, Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, Baltzerstrasse 1+3, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland.

  • Katrina Kremer, University of Bern, Swiss Seismological Service

    Professor at Institute of Geological Sciences, University of Bern, Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, Baltzerstrasse 1+3, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland.

    Swiss Seismological Service, ETH Zurich, Sonneggstrasse 5, CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland

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Copyright (c) 2026 Gaétan Sauter, Damien Bouffard, François Mettra, Koen Blanckaert, Stefano C. Fabbri, Flavio S. Anselmetti, Michael Hilbe, Mathurin D. Wamba, Adrianus Damanik, Hendrik Vogel, Katrina Kremer

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