Flow and the sediment regime affect water quality and nutrient delivery in all river systems and are fundamental in sustaining the river ecosystem. This study aims to identify the most relevant factors affecting the flow regime and the suspended sediment transport in two Mediterranean intermittent rivers: the Búger (Spain) and the Carapelle (Italy). A set of hydrological indicators were used to characterize and classify the flow regime. High-resolution data, streamflow and suspended sediment concentration were used to quantify runoff and sediment yields at different temporal scales (annual, monthly, event). Rainfall, streamflow and sediment variables were used at the event scale to assess the rainfall-runoff-suspended sediment relationship through the Pearson correlation matrix. Hysteresis analysis provided information on sediment source dynamics. In the Búger River, the high degree of flow intermittence was mainly due to the presence of carbonate lithology and forest land use at headwaters promoting low values of runoff coefficient (2–10%) and specific suspended sediment yield (SSY; 0.5–46 t km⁻² y⁻¹). In the Carapelle River, the high values of annual runoff coefficient (14–35%), together with low flow intermittence and SSY (89–745 t km⁻² y⁻¹) were related to clay and flyschoid lithology. Most of the annual sediment yield (SY, t) was transported during floods. In Búger, SSY and maximum suspended sediment concentration (SSC_max, g l⁻¹) were checked against runoff, peak discharge and antecedent rainfall. In Carapelle, SSY and SSC_max were checked against the amount and intensity of rainfall. The catchment size and the spatial distribution of rainfall, land uses and lithology played important roles in the flow regime, suspended sediment transport and hysteretic behaviour. Characterization of the flow regime linked to its main physical drivers improved understanding of the hydrological response and sediment transport variability of intermittent rivers. This study provided valuable insights into water resource management, improving the prediction of spatial patterns and of the intensity of sediment transport in river basins.

流量和沉积物状况会影响所有河流系统的水质和养分输送，对于维持河流生态系统至关重要。本研究旨在确定影响两条间歇性地中海河流（西班牙）和意大利的卡拉佩勒的水流状况和悬浮泥沙输送的最相关因素。一套水文指标被用来表征和分类流态。高分辨率数据，水流和悬浮泥沙浓度用于量化不同时间尺度（年度，每月，事件）的径流和泥沙产量。在事件尺度上使用降雨，径流和沉积物变量通过Pearson相关矩阵评估降雨-径流-悬浮物之间的关系。滞后分析提供了有关泥沙源动力学的信息。^-2 y ^-1）。在卡拉佩勒河中，年径流系数的高值（14–35％），间歇性和SSY较低（89–745 t km ^-2 y ^-1）与粘土和飞石岩性有关。洪水期间运输了大部分的年沉积物产量（SY，t）。在布格（Búger），检查了SSY和最大悬浮沉积物浓度（SSC _max， gl ^-1）是否受到径流量，峰值流量和前期降雨的影响。在Carapelle，SSY和SSC _max检查了降雨的数量和强度。流域规模，降雨的空间分布，土地利用和岩性在水流状态，悬浮泥沙输送和滞后行为中起着重要作用。与其主要物理驱动因素有关的流态特征可以更好地理解间歇性河流的水文响应和输沙变化。这项研究为水资源管理，改善空间格局的预测以及流域泥沙输送强度的预测提供了宝贵的见识。