Sediment composition in modern fluvial settings is commonly assessed regarding spatial but rarely temporal variability, potentially leading to a bias of unknown extent. Here, we present the grain‐size distribution, bulk chemical and mineralogical composition of a time‐series set of 36 suspended sediment samples from the Brahmaputra river, as well as clay and heavy mineral analysis of selected samples. Sampling covers the June–November 2021 period, which included two major flooding events. We show that the two flooding events are characterized by contrasting grain size, with the first event characterized by a grain‐size minimum and the second by a grain‐size maximum. Although grain sizes of the first flood and the period after the second are similar, their compositions differ significantly, highlighted by a factor‐two decrease of biotite largely compensated by an increase in quartz. By contrast, the content of garnet, clinopyroxene, sillimanite, and rutile increased compared to epidote and amphibole during the second flood event. By relating the results to spatio‐temporal rainfall and discharge patterns and basin morphology, we conclude that the first flooding primarily mobilized hydraulically pre‐sorted sediments from the exposed sandbars of the floodplains, while those sandbars are already submerged during the second flooding in a single‐channel system, resulting in higher sediment contributions from highland tributaries draining igneous and high‐grade metamorphic rocks. Such temporal variations pose constraints on the interpretation of compositional differences between individual samples regarding sediment provenance and dispersal and should be considered in studies of modern drainage basins as well as ancient sediment routing systems.
N2 - Plain Language Summary: Sediment provenance, which refers to where the sediment in a river comes from, is important to understand because it can tell us about the geology of an area, various earth‐surface processes and how the landscape is changing over time. However, sediment provenance is typically studied at a spatial scale in present day river basins, and temporal variability is rarely considered. This study examines the physical, chemical and mineralogical properties of sediment in the Brahmaputra river during two major flooding events that occurred in the same season. The results show that the sediment composition varies between the events, indicating a change in the relative proportions of distinct sources. This emphasizes the importance of considering temporal variations in sediment composition when interpreting sediment provenance signals. N2 - Key Points:Time‐series analysis of sediment composition during two major flooding events of a single monsoon season is presented
The two flooding events show contrasting grain‐size, chemical and mineralogical composition
Temporal variations in sediment composition pose constraints on the interpretation of provenance and dispersal based on individual samples