Shift in detrital sedimentation in the eastern Bay of Bengal during the late Quaternary

Down-core variations of granulometric, geochemical and mineral magnetism of a 70-cm long sediment core retrieved from the eastern Bay of Bengal abyssal region were studied to understand sedimentation pattern and sediment provenance during the last ～12 kyr BP. Based on down-core physical and elemental variations, three units were identified: unit 3 (70–43 cm) is a ～30 cm thick clayey silt organic carbon-rich (0.5–0.92%) turbidite probably delivered by the Brahmaputra River during the late Quaternary period. Units 2 (43–24 cm) and 1 (24–0 cm) represent enhanced and reduced supply of coarse-grained detrital sediments from the Ganges River during early and late Holocene period, respectively. Increased terrigenous supply dilutes calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) and biogenic elements (P, Ba and Cu) in units 3 and 2. On the contrary, a reduction in detrital input enhances CaCO₃ and biogenic elements in unit 1. Lithogenic elements (Ti, Al, K and Rb) and shale-normalized REE patterns in all three units suggest terrigenous source. The shift in provenance from the Brahmaputra to the Ganges derived sediments is evident by a sharp increase in sediment grain size, increased concentration and grain size assemblages of magnetic minerals, lithogenic elements concentration and La_n/Yb_n ratio. This study highlights terrigenous dilution on biogenic sedimentation in the eastern Bay of Bengal sediments.     

Role of late glacial to mid-Holocene climate in catchment weathering in the central Tibetan Plateau

The lightness (L*) and concentrations of Rb, Sr and organic carbon (C_org) have been measured in the age-constrained lake sediment cores recovered from Co Ngoin in the central Tibetan Plateau. Dissolved Sr flux is a dominant control on the variation of Rb/Sr ratios in the sediments. Variations in color and geochemical proxies of Co Ngoin sediments display a continuous history of late glacial to mid-Holocene chemical versus physical weathering intensity in response to past climatic changes between approximately 13,500 and 4500 cal yr B.P. A lower chemical weathering under a late glacial climate was followed by a higher weathering during the Holocene Optimum. Weathering intensity in the central Tibetan Plateau catchment also responds to well-known climatic events, such as the Younger Dryas (YD), and possibly the Holocene Event 5 (HE-5). Although there are differences in time or duration of the climatic events, many of the well-known late glacial to mid-Holocene events occurred in high-elevation Co Ngoin where atmospheric circulation might play a hemispherical role in climatic forcing. The sediment hiatus since c. 4200 ¹⁴C yr B.P. in the Co Ngoin indicates a period of desiccation that was probably associated with a sharp decrease in summer monsoon strength. Our lascustrine results not only imply catchment weathering variations in response to late glacial to mid-Holocene climatic conditions in the central plateau, but also provide further evidence for global connections between regional climates.     

Spatial and temporal variations of Rb/Sr ratios of the bulk surface sediments in Lake Qinghai

The Rb/Sr ratios of lake sediments have been suggested as indicators of weathering intensity by increasing work. However, the geochemistry of Rb/Sr ratios of lake sediments is variable between different lakes. In this study, we investigated the spatial and temporal patterns of Rb/Sr ratios, as well as those of other major elements in surface sediments of Lake Qinghai. We find that the spatial pattern of Rb/Sr ratios of the bulk sediments correlates well with that of the mass accumulation rate, and those of the terrigenous fractions, e.g., SiO₂, Ti, and Fe. The temporal variations of Rb/Sr ratios also synchronize with those of SiO₂, Ti, and Fe of each individual core. These suggest that Rb/Sr ratios of the surface sediments are closely related to terrigenous input from the catchment. Two out of eight cores show similar trends between Rb/Sr ratios and precipitation indices on decadal scales; however, the other cores do not show such relationship. The result of this study suggests that physical weathering and chemical weathering in Lake Qinghai catchment have opposite influence on Rb/Sr ratios of the bulk sediments, and they compete in dominating the Rb/Sr ratios of lake sediments on different spatial and temporal scales. Therefore, it is necessary to study the geochemistry of Rb/Sr ratio of lake sediments (especially that on short term timescales) particularly before it is used as an indicator of weathering intensity of the catchment.     

广西桂林石灰土元素迁移特征及影响因素——以会仙峰丛谷地石灰土为例

碳酸盐岩的化学风化是岩溶关键带各圈层相互作用的主要形式,风化壳中蕴含重要气候环境和物质循环信息。通过对广西桂林会仙峰丛谷地石灰土的化学风化强度及元素迁移特征的研究,并与滇黔湘和青藏高原的岩溶风化壳的对比分析,结果表明:（1）会仙石灰土化学蚀变指数（CIA）均值为92.14,与贵州兴义岩溶风化壳相当,反映炎热潮湿气候下的强烈化学风化;白云岩风化壳CIA与灰岩风化壳相当,CIA值主要受“不溶物”含量的影响;地形上,从上坡到下坡,从坡地到谷地,垂向剖面从浅部到深部,碳酸盐岩风化壳的CIA值呈减小趋势;（2）包括会仙石灰土在内的中国南方碳酸盐岩风化壳的CIA值与纬度成负相关,青藏高原地区和北方地区碳酸盐岩风化壳的CIA值与纬度不存在相关性,可能受晚第三纪以来印度板块俯冲推挤,青藏高原地区构造抬升和夷平面变形的影响;（3）与硅酸盐风化壳、黄土剖面不同,碳酸盐岩风化壳CIA和Na/K（摩尔比值）不存在相关性,但CIA和K/Al（摩尔比值）则存在显著负相关,可采用K/Al来表征碳酸盐岩剖面的风化程度,其主要是受可溶成分的快速淋失影响;会仙石灰土、贵州兴义风化壳较其他风化壳更接近Al端,化学风化程度更高;（4）会仙石灰土的化学成分与中国其他地区碳酸盐岩风化壳基本一致,剖面上分布均匀;与上陆壳相比,Na、K、Ca、Mg表现为亏损,其他元素为富集;和下伏碳酸盐岩的稳定元素Ti相比,除了Cr、Fe、P、Al富集或不变外,其他元素都发生明显的迁移淋失;会仙风化壳元素的迁移性由强到弱为:Ca ? Mg ? B ? Na ? N ? Cd ? Zn ? As ? K ? Pb ? Si ? Mn ? Al ? Cr ? Fe ? P,高含量Ca、Mg的快速溶失对其他元素的迁移性有重要影响。      

Geochemical characteristics of modern river sediments in Myanmar and Thailand: Implications for provenance and weathering

The elemental composition of organic matter and the major and trace element compositions of stream sediments from Myanmar (Ayeyarwady and Sittaung rivers) and Thailand (Mekong and Chao Phraya rivers, and their tributaries) were determined to examine their distributions, provenance, and chemical weathering processes. Higher total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN) contents in the finer grained sediments indicate hydrodynamic energy may control their distributions. TOC/TN ratios indicate inputs of both aquatic macrophyte and higher vascular plant material to the river sediments. The major element abundances of the sediments are characterized by predominance of SiO₂ in coarser fractions and a marked negative correlation with Al₂O₃, representing primary grain size primarily control on SiO₂ content. Marked depletion of most labile elements (Na₂O, CaO, K₂O, Ba and Sr) relative to UCC (upper continental crust), indicate destruction of feldspar during chemical weathering in the source area or during transport. However, enrichment of some high field strength elements (Zr, Th, Ce and Y) relative to UCC and higher Zr/Sc ratios indicate moderate concentration of resistant heavy minerals in finer-grained samples. Discriminant diagrams and immobile trace element characteristics indicate that the Mekong, and Chao Phraya river sediments were largely derived from felsic sources with compositions close to typical rhyolite, dacite/granodiorite, UCC, I- and S-type granites. Relative enrichment of ferromagnesian elements (e.g. MgO, Cr, Ni) and high Cr/V and low Y/Ni ratios in Ayeyarwady and Sittaung sediments indicate the presence of a mafic or ultramafic component in their sources. The ICV (Index of Compositional Variability), CIA (Chemical Index of Alteration), PIA (Plagioclase Index of Alteration), α^Al, Rb/Sr and K₂O/Rb ratios indicate that the Ayeyarwady and Sittaung sediments record low to moderate degrees of chemical weathering in their source, compared to moderate to intense chemical weathering in the Mekong and Chao Phraya river basins. These results are compatible with existing major ion data for river waters collected at the same locations.     

湖光岩玛珥湖非残渣态Rb/Sr比值研究及其古气候意义

湖泊沉积物Rb/Sr比值变化主要受控于Sr含量的变化,而真正反映流域化学风化强度的主要是迁移至集水盆地(湖泊)的溶解态Sr2+,在沉积物中主要以碳酸盐结合态和铁锰氧化物结合态等形式存在.通过对不同赋存状态的Rb/Sr比值与相应的Sr含量之间相关关系的对比分析发现,沉积物非残渣态Rb/Sr比值更好地反映了流域化学风化.根...     

广东西樵剖面主量元素记录的全新世气候突变

以广东佛山市西樵山(22°56'15"N,112°57'16"E)全新统厚153 cm的河湖相及红土为研究对象,在11个AMS-14C测年数据和沉积物主量元素分析的基础上探讨全新世以来该剖面的化学风化特征及古环境意义,对具有明确指示化学风化意义的脱硅富铝铁化指标Al2O3/SiO2和(Al2O3+TFeO)/SiO2进行分析,结合孢粉指示的古生态,确定了气候旋回与化学风化旋回之间的关系,为南亚热带地区全新世环境演变提供了地球化学证据。研究结果表明,西樵山全新统共记录了13次弱风化-冬季风事件,其中发生于2000 cal.a B.P.(xc1)、2900 cal.a B.P.(xc3)、4100 cal.a B.P.(xc4)、5300 cal.a B.P.(xc5)、7800 cal.a B.P.(xc10)、9300 cal.a B.P.(xc11)、9500 cal.a B.P.(xc12)和9700 cal.a B.P.(xc13)的事件可对应北大西洋深海沉积Bond事件1~8,前6次事件与南海陆坡北部的17940孔10 ka B.P.以来的6个弱季风事件相应,且这13个冷事件几乎都可与太阳黑子活动最小值阶段相对应。这意味着西樵山剖面全新世突变事件除受北半球高纬冰量变化的影响外,可能还在相当程度上受到太阳活动的强迫。     

Impacts of grain size sorting and chemical weathering on the geochemistry of Jingyuan loess in the northwestern Chinese Loess Plateau

Major and trace elemental compositions of loess samples collected from the Jingyuan section in the northwestern Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP) were analyzed to investigate the potential impacts of grain size sorting and chemical weathering on the loess geochemistry and to extract appropriate geochemical indices for better evaluating the East Asian monsoon variability. Based on variations of major and trace elements in different grain size fractions, seventeen elements were classified into three types: (1) Si and Na display higher contents with the increased particle sizes; (2) Al, Fe, Mg, K, Mn, Zn, Rb, Cr, V are mainly enriched in fine size fractions; (3) Ti, Ba, Zr, P, Ca and Sr show irregular variations among different size fractions. Comparison of Al-normalized elemental ratios with Zr/Rb and Rb/Sr ratios (two commonly employed indicators for grain size sorting and pedogenic weathering) indicates that Si/Al, Zr/Al, Ti/Al variations match well with Zr/Rb and grain size results, whilst Ca/Al, Sr/Al, P/Al ratios display similar variability as that of Rb/Sr ratio. Comparison of loess based proxies (e.g., elemental ratios, magnetic susceptibility, grain size) of Jingyuan section with speleothem and ice-core records confirms that elemental ratios of high-resolution loess sequences developed in the northwestern CLP can be employed to address fluctuations of the winter monsoon-induced grain size sorting and summer monsoon-related weathering and pedogenesis at glacial–interglacial and millennial timescales.     

Mineralogy and geochemistry of sediments from Simbock Lake,Yaoundé area (southern Cameroon): provenance and environmental implications

Two cores of sediments, named NR and EB, were collected in the Simbock Lake (Mefou watershed, Yaoundé) to assess their provenance and the degree of heavy metal pollution based on mineralogical and geochemical data. The sediments are sandy, sand-clayey to clayey, and yellowish brown to greenish brown, and with high amounts of organic matter (average value of TOC is 1.95%). The sediments are mainly composed of quartz, kaolinite, accessory goethite, smectite, rutile, feldspars, illite, gibbsite, and interstratified illite-vermiculite. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy shows that kaolinite is less crystallized in the NR core than in the EB core. The Index of Compositional Variability (ICV), Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA), Plagioclase Index of Alteration (PIA), and the Rb/Sr and K₂O/Rb ratios indicate a high weathering intensity in the source area. These sediments have low contents in Al₂O₃, Fe₂O₃, Na₂O, K₂O, MgO, and CaO as well as high values in SiO₂, P₂O₅, TiO₂, and MnO relative to the upper continental crust. The concentrations of Cr, V, Ba, and Zr are higher in the NR core than those in EB. The total rare earth element (REE) content varies between 78 and 405 ppm. The light REE are abundant (LREE/HREE ~?18–59; avg.?=?25.61). The chondrite-normalized REE patterns exhibit (i) negative Eu anomaly (Eu/Eu^* ~?0.38–0.62; avg.?=?0.5), (ii) slight positive Ce anomaly (Ce/Ce^* ~?1.11–1.34; avg.?=?1.11), and (iii) high REE fractionation ((La/Yb)_N ~?12.3–51.75; avg.?=?25.61). The enrichment factor (EF) shows that the Mefou watershed through the Simbock Lake sediments is slightly polluted by the agricultural and urban activities.     

青藏高原中部2.8Ma以来的化学风化与环境演化的湖泊沉积记录

对采自青藏高原中部错鄂湖泊钻孔近200m以上深处、形成于2.8Ma以来的沉积岩岩芯中Sr,Rb,Zr含量变化及Rb/Sr,Zr/Rb比进行了研究,并结合其岩性、粒度、粘土矿物组成,分析了该地区2.8Ma来化学风化的相对强度和古环境演化过程。研究表明,2.8Ma来青藏高原中部的环境经历了3个演化阶段：在深约197－170m(2.8-2.5Ma)岩性段,低Sr含量,高Rb/Sr和Zr/Rb比揭示的是较弱的化学风化过程,反映了与当时强烈的高原隆升运动有关;在约170－38.5m（约2.5-0.8Ma)段,高Sr含量,低Rb/Sr和Zr/Rb比记录的是该流域较强的化学风化阶段,与高原在稳定期中部总体处于温湿或凉湿的环境下的结论吻合;在38.5-0m（约0.8-0Ma)段,总体Sr含量处于相对低值,Rb/Sr比相对较高,化学风化相对较弱,表明高原中部处于较寒冷的环境之中,高原整体已隆升到4000m以上。     

Terrestrial – Ocean environmental change in the northwestern Pacific from the glacial times to Holocene

The Mixed Water Region (MWR) between the Oyashio Current and the Kuroshio Extension and surrounding terrestrial region have been affected by the global climatic change. The sedimentary core KR02-15 PC6 collected at 40°23.8871′N, 143°29.8663′E in the MWR provides detailed records of pollen and spores and alkenone sea surface temperature (SST) during the last 15 kyr, showing that both ocean and terrestrial environments have been appreciably linked. Abundance of Picea, a proxy for terrestrial cool climate, fluctuated, coinciding with the alkenone-SST change during the interstadial period (15.0–7.7 cal kyr B.P.). Alkenone-SST increased to the modern level at 8.0 cal kyr B.P. and remained almost constant until 2.0 kyr B.P. while the terrestrial warming still continued until 4.0 cal kyr B.P. The rainfall under terrestrial warm condition increased gradually from 7.9 cal kyr B.P. and rapidly from 2.0 cal kyr B.P. Both terrestrial and marine environments cooled down during the last 2 kyr possibly due to the intensified cold Oyashio Current.     

Late Cenozoic Chemical Weathering and Environmental Changes Recorded in the Co Ngoin Sediments,Central Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

A series of faulted inland basins were developed in the central Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, among which the Co Ngoin Basin containing thick lacustrine sediments is located in the peripheral area of the Indian monsoon. In this paper, we present the weathering history and paleoclimatic changes in the last 2.8 Ma based on studies of high-resolution temporal distributions of Sr, Rb and Zr concentrations, Rb/Sr and Zr/Rb ratios and δ ^13C and TOC for the Co Ngoin sediments, in combination with the sediment properties, grain size distribution and clay mineralogy. The sedimentary records indicate three environmental stages in the last 2.8Ma. At the core depth of 197-170m (about 2.8-2.5Ma), low-intensity chemical weathering in the Co Ngoin catchment was experienced under warm-dry to cool-wet climate conditions with relatively low Sr concentration and high Rb/Sr and Zr/Rb ratios. The sudden occurrence of both subalpine coniferous forest and coarses and and gravel sediments in the Co Ngoin core reflects a strong tectonic uplift. The high Sr concentrations and low Rb/Sr and Zr/Rb ratios reflect a relatively strong chemical weathering between 2.5Ma and 0.8Ma (at the core depth of 170-38.5m) under a temperate/cool and wet climate, characterized by mud and silt with fine sand, probably indicating a stable process of denudation and planation of the plateau. Above the depth of 38.5m (about 0.8-0Ma), the coarsening of sediments indicates a strong tectonic uplift and a relatively low intensity of chemical weathering as supported by the record of sediments having relatively low Sr concentrations and high Rb/Sr and Zr/Rb ratios. Since then, the plateau has taken the shape of the modern topographic pattern above 4000m a.s.l.     

Geochemistry and provenance of bed sediments of the large rivers in the Tibetan Plateau and Himalayan region

We investigated the geochemical characteristics of major, trace and rare earth elements and Sr–Nd isotope patterns of bed sediments from the headwaters and upper reaches of the six large rivers draining the Tibetan Plateau (the Jinsha River—Yangtze, Lancang River—Mekong, Nujiang River—Salween, Huang He—Yellow, Indus, and Yarlung Tsangpo—Brahmaputra). By using Ca/Al versus Mg/Al, La/Sc versus Co/Th, and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr versus ε_Nd (0) binary differentiation diagrams of provenance, some typical contributors to the different catchment sediments can be identified. In the Three-River (the Jinsha, Lancang, and Nujiang Rivers) tectonomagmatic belt, acidic–intermediate-acidic volcanic rocks are very important provenance of sediments. Carbonate rocks and Permian Emeishan basalts are dominant in the Jinsha River. The Yellow River sediments have similar geochemical characteristics with loess in catchments. The Indus and Yarlung Tsangpo Rivers sediments are mainly from ultra-K volcanic rocks and Cenozoic granitoids widely distributed in the Indus–Yarlung suture. The intensity of chemical weathering in these river catchments is evaluated by calculating the chemical indices of alteration (CIA) of sediments and comparing them with bedrocks. The CIA values of the six river sediments are from 46.5 to 69.6, closing to those of bedrocks in the corresponding catchment, which indicates relatively weak chemical weathering intensity. Lithology, climate, and topography affect the chemical weathering intensity in these river catchments.     

郧县前坊村剖面黄土-古土壤序列风化成壤及古气候研究

秦岭作为我国南方和北方地理、气候、自然环境的天然分界线,并当作是黄土高原的南屏障。汉江上游谷地地区位于秦岭南侧,属于北亚热带气候区域,受季风气候活动影响强烈。为了探讨该地区在亚热带气候背景下,风成黄土成壤改造对气候变化的响应机制,通过对汉江上游谷地前坊村（QFC）剖面磁化率、烧失量、粒度、Rb/Sr等理化性质进行研究。结果表明:①末次冰期以来沙尘暴很有可能越过秦岭在其南侧堆积,黄土-古土壤剖面地层序列从上到下依次为:MS-L₀-S₀-Lt-L₁-AD;这些沉积物完整记录了一级阶地上晚更新世气候变化信息,地层单元受到各个时期不同程度成壤强度的改造。②前坊村剖面中,理化性质在不同地层单元有显著差异。例如磁化率、烧失量、Rb/Sr指标平均含量的高值出现在古土壤层中,低值出现在黄土层;而Zr/Rb含量变化正好相反;这些理化性质表明,在古土壤发育期,水热条件进入最适宜期,沉积物的风化成壤作用显著;在黄土堆积期,气候寒冷干燥,主要以粉尘堆积为主,沉积物的风化成壤作用较弱。③秦岭南侧北亚热带汉江上游前坊村一级阶地剖面化学风化强度变化揭示了黄土-古土壤环境气候变化的规律:末次冰期以来（大约18.0～11.5 ka B.P.）,气候干冷,沙尘暴频繁出现,沉积物以黄土堆积为主,成壤作用微弱,形成马兰黄土（L₁）;全新世早期（约11.5～8.5 ka B.P.）,气候由干冷向暖湿方向转变,但主要以干冷为主,形成过渡层（Lt）;在全新世大暖期（8.5～3.1 ka B.P.）,气候条件达到最优阶段,水热配合较好,生物活动活跃,成壤作用十分显著,发育了古土壤S₀;到了全新世晚期以来（3.1 ka B.P.）气候又由暖湿向干冷方向转变,成壤作用明显减弱,沙尘暴出现较为频繁,形成了以黄土堆积为主的全新世黄土（L₀）。现代表土层（MS）是在（1.5 ka B.P.）以来气候转暖,加之人类长期农业耕作扰动,在全新世黄土L₀顶部叠加而形成的。     

Holocene chemical weathering and climatic oscillations in north China: evidence from lacustrine sediments

Holocene lacustrine sediments from two isolated lakes in north China are investigated. Based on palaeoclimatic significance of independent proxies in lake sediments, Holocene chemical weathering, and hence climate change, has been reconstructed for dated sediment cores from Daihai Lake and Aibi Lake. During early to mid-Holocene, higher weathering intensity occurred in the Daihai catchment under warm and humid climate conditions, and this reached a maximum at ∼5 kyr BP. However, synchronous proxy shifts from the two widely separated, isolated lake sediments indicate that there was a cool climate event during the early to mid-Holocene transition. This is characterized by reduced weathering in each catchment, low δ ¹³ C and δ ¹⁸ O of authigenic carbonate, and by lake level fluctuations. These might correspond to a global cooling signal identified in lakes, oceans, mollusc sequences, and polar ice cores, typically centred between ∼8.0 and 8.5 kyr BP. Dry conditions were experienced in Greenland, the North Atlantic and surrounding regions, and in broad monsoonal regions including Daihai at this time. However, recent extensive evidences as well as our data from the Aibi Lake sediments show that cool but wet conditions occurred in the central Eurasian continent at this time. After ∼2.5 kyr BP, a significant shift of independent sediment proxies indicates the beginning of the Neoglaciation with a higher frequency of fluctuations, including both the Medieval Warm Period (MWP) and the Little Ice Age (LIA). Our continental records provide new evidence of the Holocene climate variability with global significance and highlight the different spatial nature of the response to oscillations associated with different climate patterns.     

Natural and anthropogenic budgets of a small watershed in the massif central (France): Chemical and strontium isotopic characterization of water and sediments

A small watershed (160 km²) located in the Massif Central (France) has been chemically, isotopically and hydrologically studied through its dissolved load, bed sediments and soils. This watershed is underlain by basaltic bedrock and associated soils in which the vegetation is dominated mainly by meadows.Dissolved concentrations of major ions (Cl, SO₄, NO₃, HCO₃, Ca, Na, Mg, K, Al and Si), trace elements (Rb and Sr) and strontium isotopes have been determined for two different hydrologic periods on the main stream of the Allanche river and its tributaries.The major objectives of this study were to characterize the chemical and isotopic signatures of each reservoir occurring in the watershed. Changes in chemical and isotopic signatures are interpreted in terms of fluctuations of the different components inputs: rainwater, weathering products, anthropogenic addition.Water quality may be influenced by natural inputs (rainwater, weathering processes) and anthropogenic additions (fertilizers, road salts, etc.). Precipitation serves as a major vehicle for dissolved chemical species in addition to the hydrosystem and, in order to constrain rain inputs, a systematic study of rainwaters is carried out over a one year period using an automatic collector. Corrections of rainwater addition using chloride as an atmospheric input reference were computed for selected elements and the Sr/Sr ratio. After such corrections, the geochemical budget of the watershed was determined and the role of anthropogenic additions evaluated through the relationship between strontium isotopes and major and trace element ratios. Thus, 10% of Ca and Na originate in rainwater input, 40 to 80% in fertilizer additions and 15 to 50% in rock weatheringThe cationic denudation rates for this watershed are around 0.3 g s^–1 km² during low water discharge and 0.6 g s^–1 km² in high water stage. This led to a chemical denudation rate of 5.3 mm/1000 years.For solid matter, the normalization of chemical species relative to parent rocks shows the depletion or enrichment in soils and sediments. The use of K and Ca as mobile reference illustrates the weathering state of soils and sediments relative to parent rocks. This weathering state for bed sediments range from 15 to 45% for the K normalization and from 2 to 50% for the Ca normalization. For the soils, the weathering state ranges from 15 to 57% for the K normalization and from 17 to 90% for the Ca normalization.     

Late Quaternary rapid climate change in northern Chile

Analyses of terrigenous sediments from the Chilean continental slope off the southern border of the Atacama desert (27.5°S), focusing on illite crystallinity and the Fe:Al ratio of the sediments, reveal a high-frequency variability of the position of the Southern Westerlies, which is very similar to the coeval short-term climatic events known from Greenland ice cores and from North Atlantic sediments. Besides showing dominantly precession-driven variability in precipitation over the Andes, these analyses also reveal rapid changes in weathering intensity along the Chilean Coastal Range during the last 80,000 years. These rapid changes occur at much shorter timescales than the 19–100 kyr orbital forcing of the Milankovitch cycles.     

Geochemistry of deep-sea sediments in two cores retrieved at the mouth of the Coatzacoalcos River delta,western Gulf of Mexico,Mexico

Coastal margins, especially the river-influenced coastal areas, are considered as active interfaces between the continental and oceanic environments, which have huge dispersal of detrital materials and heavy metal input. It is well determined that the fine-grained sediments are important reservoir for the accumulation of heavy metals. In this study, we analyzed the radiocarbon age, texture, organic matter, carbonate content, and geochemical compositions of two sediment cores (GM42 and GM44) retrieved in front of the Coatzacoalcos River mouth basin, southwestern Gulf of Mexico (～864 and 845 m water depth, respectively). Our objective was to infer the sedimentation rate, intensity of weathering, provenance, and influence of anthropogenic activities on heavy metal contamination in sediments. The radiocarbon-age measurements of mixed planktonic foraminifera for core GM44 reveals an age of 21,289 ± 136 cal. years B.P., which fall within the Late Glacial Maximum (LGM; 21000 ± 2000 years B.P). The calculated sedimentation rate for core GM42 (~0.013 cm/year) is lower than in core GM44 (0.022 cm/year), which is probably due to the variations in detrital sediment input and/or seafloor topography. The weathering indices such as chemical index of alteration (CIA), chemical index of weathering (CIW), and plagioclase index of alteration (PIA) suggested that the source area experienced low to moderate intensity of chemical weathering under warm to humid climatic conditions. The SiO₂/Al₂O₃, Al₂O₃/Na₂O, and K₂O/Al₂O₃ ratio values indicated moderate to high compositional maturity. The major and trace element concentrations suggested that the sediments were likely derived from intermediate source rocks. The heavy metal contents indicated that the sediments were not contaminated by the industrial waste disposals supplied by the Coatzacoalcos River. The redox proxy sensitive elements such as V, Cr, Cu, and Zn indicated an oxic depositional environment for the deep-sea sediment cores. The application of discrimination diagrams for the geochemistry data revealed a passive margin setting for the sediment cores. The compositional variations observed at the upper sections (<30 cm) between the two sediment cores revealed that the type of detrital sediments supplied by the Coatzacoalcos River to the deep sea area is not uniform, which is also revealed by the variation in sedimentation rate.     

Major ion chemistry and metal distribution in coal mine pit lake contaminated with industrial effluents: constraints of weathering and anthropogenic inputs

Ion chemistry of mine pit lake water reveals dominance of alkaline earths (Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺) over total cation strength, while SO₄ ^2? and Cl^? constitute the majority of total anion load. Higher value of Ca²⁺?+?Mg²⁺/Na⁺?+?K⁺ (pre-monsoon 5.986, monsoon 8.866, post-monsoon 7.09) and Ca²⁺?+?Mg²⁺/HCO₃ ^??+?SO ₄ ² (pre-monsoon 7.14, monsoon 9.57, post-monsoon 8.29) is explained by weathering of Ca?CMg silicates and dissolution of Ca²⁺-bearing minerals present in parent rocks and overburden materials. Silicate weathering supposed to be the major geological contributor, in contrast to bicarbonate weathering does a little. Distribution coefficient for dissolved metals and sorbed to surface sediments is in the order of Cd?>?Pb?>?Fe?>?Zn?>?Cu?>?Cr?>?Mn. Speciation study of monitored metals in surface sediments shows that Fe and Mn are dominantly fractionated in exchangeable-acid reducible form, whereas rest of the metals (Cr, Pb, Cd, Zn, and Cu) mostly in residual form. Cd, Pb, and Zn show relatively higher recalcitrant factor that indicates their higher retention in lake sediments. Factor loading of monitored physico-chemical parameters resembles contribution/influences from geological weathering, anthropogenic inputs as well as natural temporal factors. Ionic load/strength of lake water accounted for geochemical process and natural factors, while pollutant load (viz BOD, COD and metals, etc.) is associated with anthropogenic inputs through industrial discharge.     

渝东北黑色页岩元素迁移特征及化学风化程度

黑色页岩是富含有机质和硫化矿物的特殊沉积岩,但人们对其风化过程的元素活动性及矿物风化机制关注较少.为探讨不同地形位置的黑色页岩化学风化过程,采集了渝东北城口某山脊 (A)、近山顶 (B) 和沟谷 (C) 的下寒武统水井沱组黑色页岩风化剖面岩样,利用XRD、XRF和化学分析手段对采集样品的矿物成分、主量元素进行测定分析.元素和矿物的质量迁移系数 (τ) 和质量迁移通量 (M_{j, flux}) 的计算结果表明,黑色页岩风化过程中Ca、Mg和Na元素具有明显的贫化现象,近地表处存在Al元素的富集现象;矿物成分方面,黄铁矿和有机质氧化后形成的酸性水环境,造成方解石、白云石、斜长石等不稳定矿物溶解,并生成含水石膏、铁质氧化物、黏土矿物等次生矿物.不同赋存位置的黑色页岩风化程度有所差异,Na/K-CIA、K/Ca*-Al/Na、A-CN-K和A-CNK-FM图解显示:A剖面处于脱Ca过程的初级风化阶段,B剖面处于脱Ca、Na初期的初等-中等风化阶段,C剖面已发生脱Ca、Na过程,并伴随脱Si作用的中等-强烈风化阶段,结合不同风化指数 (如:CIA、CIW、PIA、MWPI等),得出各剖面的化学风化强弱程度依次为C＞B＞A.