ABSTRACT

The amount of suspended sediments transported by rivers of the Kamchatsky Krai into the Pacific Ocean (including the Sea of Okhotsk and the Bering Sea) was estimated. The suspended sediment yield from ungauged territories was also assessed on the basis of geography-hydrology generalization and regression equations. The total suspended sediment yield from the Kamchatsky Krai territory is estimated as 11.2 Mt per year. 74.7% of these sediments is transported by rivers of the eastern coast, and only 25.3% is transported by rivers of the western Kamchatka coast. Such distribution of suspended sediment yield in the Kamchatsky Krai territory is explained by position of active volcanoes there. About one third of the total suspended sediment yield is delivered by two major rivers – the Pengina River (flows into the Sea of Okhotsk, covers 16.1% of the drainage area) and the Kamchatka River (flows into the Pacific Ocean, covers 12.3% of the drainage area).