Downstream changes of total and partitioned metal concentrations in the flood deposits of the river Geul (The Netherlands)

The floodplain soils in the Guel basin have unacceptably high levels of pollution,v brought about by metal mining and related industrial activities in the past. Spoil heaps still exist along the Geul river and these are susceptible to erosion and leaching processes. An additional source of metals is formed by erosion of older, locally highly contaminated streambank deposits. These older sediments are polluted as a result of solid waste disposal containing metalliferous ore and tailings in the sand fraction. At present, these sediments function as a major source of heavy metals during high flow stages when streambanks are undermined and suspended sediments are deposited on the floodplains. The flood deposits have a relatively coarse texture, i.e. 70% dry weight in the fraction > 63 um.In order to obtain an indication about the potential mobility of the heavy metals in these deposits, 16 samples (8 samples < 63 um and 8 samples > 63 um) out of a set of 122 were subjected to a sequential extraction scheme as proposed by Calmano & Förstner (1983). It was found that up to 80% of the metals may be present in the first three leaching stages (exchangeable cations, carbonate fraction and easily reducible fraction) and that hardly any difference exists between the chemical partitioning of metals in the size fractions < 63 um and > 63 um. Moreover, as the total metal concentrations exponentially decrease along the 40 km distance away from the source area, the percentage of metals in these 3 potentially mobile fractions steadily increases. It is concluded that despite the rapid decay of total metal concentrations, Large amounts of potentially mobile metals are probably stored in the floodplain sediments even at a large distance from the source area.     

陕西潼关金矿区太峪河底泥重金属元素的含量及污染评价

通过对潼关金矿区太峪河和太峪水库底泥中重金属元素总量的调查,探讨了金矿开发活动中重金属元素对河流底泥的污染程度。研究结果表明,除As外,河流底泥中重金属元素的含量与尾矿渣中重金属元素的含量变化一致,表明其主要来源于尾矿渣,但又明显高于尾矿渣。在同一地点河流底泥中重金属元素的含量平均高出河水中的1048.61～666030.08倍,呈显著富集。以邻近地区不受工矿活动影响的河流底泥重金属元素的含量均值作为评价参比值,太峪河底泥受到了Hg、Pb、Cd、Cu、Zn元素的极度污染,单项污染超标倍数及综合污染指数法评价结果表明,Hg、Pb、Cd平均污染超标倍数达366.90、217.42和149.97,是底泥中最主要的污染元素。河流底泥重金属元素的综合污染指数高达278.97,表明河流的复合污染亦呈极度状态。太峪河底泥受重金属元素极度污染的现实提示,矿区的环境防治工作已刻不容缓。     

River system recovery following the Novaţ-Roşu tailings dam failure, Maramureş County, Romania

The River Vişeu catchment in Maramureş County, northwestern Romania, has a long history of base and precious metal mining. Between 1994 and 2003 waste from mining activity at Baia Borşa was stored in the Novaţ-Roşu tailings pond in the upper Vişeu catchment. However, in March 2000, the tailings dam failed releasing approximately 100,000 m³ of contaminated water and 20,000 t of mineral-rich solid waste, which was routed downstream through the Rivers Novaţ, Vaser and Vişeu into the River Tisa. Following the accident metal (Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn) concentrations in river water and river channel sediment were assessed in samples collected annually (July 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003) from 29 sites in the Vişeu catchment, downstream of the tailings pond. Additionally, the speciation of sediment-associated metals was established using a 4-stage sequential extraction procedure (SEP) and Pb isotope analysis (^206/204Pb and ^207/204Pb) was carried out to establish the provenance of contaminated sediments. Metal concentrations in river water were found to comply with EU directive ‘target’ values within four months of the failure. However, the impact of the spill upon river channel sediments was found to be much longer-lasting, with evidence of the delayed downstream remobilization of tailings stored within the narrow Novaţ valley following the dam failure, as well as continued inputs of contaminated sediment to the River Vişeu from the River Tisla, another mining-affected tributary. Comparison with data from other recent tailings dam failures, indicates that river system recovery rates depend upon local geomorphological conditions, hydrological regimes, and the nature and scale of post-spill clean-up operations.     

Mercury contents in the vertical profiles through alluvial sediments as a reflection of mining in Idrija (Slovenia)

The influence of geomorphological factors to Hg contamination of the Idrijca River alluvial sediments because of the historical mining and ore roasting activities has been studied. Main source of Hg in alluvial sediments was dumping of ore roasting residues and mining waste into the river channel and its erosion downstream. The position of the material in relation to the geomorphological properties is highly related with its Hg content. Floodplains were found to be the most contaminated geomorphological units (mean Hg content 335 mg/kg), with Hg concentration rapidly dropping in the first terrace (155 mg/kg). The least contaminated material was found in the higher terraces (3.8 mg/kg). Sampling upstream Idrija (average Hg content is 22.1 mg/kg) shows that not only mine and ore roasting plant increased Hg levels in alluvial deposits but also contaminated sites upstream Idrija contribute to Hg contamination. Geochemical background for alluvial sediments for this area is estimated to be 0.75 mg/kg. Downstream Idrija, 9 hotspots were determined where highly contaminated material is actively eroded and carries a high risk of further contamination of the So?a River and northern Adriatic Sea ecosystems.     

Quantifying modern erosion rates and river-sediment contamination in the Bolivian Andes

We use petrographic, mineralogical and geochemical data on modern river sediments of the Tupiza basin in the Bolivian Andes to investigate the relationships among human activity, heavy-metal contamination of sediments and modern erosion rates in mountain fluvial systems. Forward mixing model was used to quantify the relative contributions from each main tributary to total sediment load of the Tupiza River. The absolute sediment load was estimated by using the Pacific Southwest Inter Agency Committee model (PSIAC, 1968) after two years of geological field surveys (2009; 2010), together with data obtained from the Instituto Nacional del Agua public authority (INA, 2007), and suspended-load data from Aalto et al. (2006).Our results indicate that the sediment yield in the drainage basin is 910 ± 752 ton/km²year and the mean erosion rate is 0.40 ± 0.33 mm/year. These values compare well with erosion rates measured by Insel et al. (2010) using ¹⁰Be cosmogenic radionuclide concentrations in Bolivian river sediments. More than 40% of the Tupiza river load is produced in the upper part of the catchment, where highly tectonized and weathered rocks are exposed and coupled with sporadic land cover and intense human activity (mines). In the Rio Chilco basin strong erosion of upland valleys produce an increase of erosion (∼10 mm/year) and the influx of large amounts of sediment by mass wasting processes. The main floodplain of the Tupiza catchment represents a significant storage site for the heavy metals (∼657 ton/year). Fluvial sediments contain zinc, lead, vanadium, chromium, arsenic and nickel. Since the residence time of these contaminants in the alluvial plain may be more than 100 years, they may represent a potential source of pollution for human health.     

Heavy metal contamination in overbank sediments of the Geul river (East Belgium): Its relation to former Pb-Zn mining activities

Overbank sediments of the Geul River (East Belgium) are highly contaminated by the heavy metals Pb, Zn, and Cd due to former Pb-Zn mining activities in the drainage basin. Geochemical variations in vertical overbank sediment profiles sampled 1 km north of the mine tailings of Plombiéres allow metal fluxes back to the 17th century to be reconstructed. The vertical profiles are subdivided into three major units corresponding to different industrial periods based on sedimentological criteria as well as on the distribution of contaminants. Alluvial sediments with the highest heavy metal concentrations correspond to the major period of mining activity of the 19th century. The fact that Zn mining at the La Calamine open mine started before large-scale mining of the PbS-ZnS subsurface exploitations is reflected in the vertical profiles by an increase in Zn content before a marked increase in Pb and Cu. The regional extent of contamination in the alluvial deposits was evaluated on the basis of the geochemical analysis of sediments at depths of the 0–20 cm and 80–100 cm. Most of the upper samples are extremely contaminated. Significant local variations in heavy metal concentration in the lower samples are interpreted in terms of which overbank sediment horizon has been sampled at a depth of 80–100 cm. This indicates that blind sampling of overbank sediments to characterize the degree of contamination in shallow boreholes can give very erratic results.     

Estimation of spatial patterns of soil erosion using remote sensing and GIS: a case study of Indravati catchment

Soil erosion is a serious environmental problem in Indravati catchment. It carries the highest amount of sediments compared with other catchments in India. This catchment spreading an area of 41,285 km² is drained by river Indravati, which is one of the northern tributaries of the river Godavari in its lower reach. In the present study, USLE is used to estimate potential soil erosion from river Indravati catchment. Both magnitude and spatial distribution of potential soil erosion in the catchment is determined. The derived soil loss map from USLE model is classified into six categories ranging from slight to very severe risk depending on the calculated soil erosion amount. The soil erosion map is linked to elevation and slope maps to identify the area for conservation practice in order to reduce the soil loss. From the model output predictions, it is found that average erosion rate predicted is 18.00 tons/ha/year and sediment yield at the out let of the catchment is 22.30 Million tons per annum. The predicted sediment yield verified with the observed data.     

The role of geomorphic processes in the transport and fate of mercury in the Carson River basin, west-central Nevada

 The historic processing of precious metal ores mined from the Comstock Lode of west-central Nevada resulted in the release of substantial, but unquantified amounts of mercury-contaminated mill tailings to the Carson River basin. Geomorphic and stratigraphic studies indicate that the introduction of these waste materials led to a period of valley-floor aggradation that was accompanied by lateral channel instability. The combined result of these geomorphic responses was the storage of large volumes of mercury-enriched sediment within a complexly structured alluvial sequence located along the Carson River valley. Much of the contaminated sediment is associated with filled paleochannels produced by the cutoff and abandonment of meander loops, and their subsequent infilling with contaminated particles. Geochemically, these deposits are characterized by variations in mercury levels that exceed three orders of magnitude. Continued lateral instability, coupled with an episode of channel-bed incision, followed the decline of Comstock mining, and has reexposed contaminated debris within the banks of the river. Erosion of bank sediments reintroduces mercury-enriched particles to the modern channel bed. It is suggested on the basis of geochemical and sedimentological data that during the bank erosion process, much of the mercury associated with fine (<63 μ) valley-fill deposits are carried downstream without being incorporated to any appreciable extent within the channel-bed sediments. In contrast, mercury associated with larger and denser particles, particularly mercury-gold-silver amalgam grains, are accumulated in the channel-bed sediments as the river traverses polluted reaches of the Carson River valley. Concentration patterns developed along the modern channel indicate that the valley fill is the primary source of mercury to the river today. Thus, these data imply that efforts to reduce the influx of mercury to the aquatic environment should examine methods for reducing bank erosion rates. Received: 13 December 1996 · Accepted: 15 April 1997     

Incorporation of metalliferous sediments from historic mining into river floodplains

Rivers and their floodplains are dynamic systems, sediments are continually added to floodplain surfaces, while erosion and scour may remove sediments to be added to floodplains further downstream. When mining sediments were introduced into some catchments in Britain as ore deposits were exploited, river channels and floodplains were grossly polluted with metals. The legacy of this uncontrolled release of contaminants is apparent still, and contemporary channel deposits are enriched in metals. While the floodplains acted as a buffer to the dispersal of metals straight through the catchment, metals are still being released hundreds of years later as the floodplains are eroded and this secondary pollution of the river is a long-term problem.By studying a range of mining catchments, the effects of key variables on heavy metal dispersal in the fluvial environment can be assessed. As no single catchment displays the whole array of possible situations, a mosaic of case studies from several areas provides a good representation of potential conditions.     

Lithological and geochemical record of mining-induced changes in sediments from Macquarie Harbour,southwest Tasmania,Australia

Macquarie Harbour in southwest Tasmania, Australia, has been affected severely by the establishment of mines in nearby Queenstown in the 1890s. As well as heavy metal-laden acid rock drainage from the Mount Lyell mine area, over 100 Mt of mine tailings and slag were discharged into the Queen and Ring Rivers, with an estimated 10 Mt of mine tailings building a delta of ca. 2.5 km² and ca. 10 Mt of fine tailings in the harbour beyond the delta. Coring of sediments throughout Macquarie Harbour indicated that mine tailings accreted most rapidly close to the King River delta source with a significant reduction in thickness of tailings and heavy metal contamination with increasing distance from the King River source. Close to the King River delta the mine tailings are readily discriminated from the background estuarine sediments on the basis of visual logging of the core (laminations, colour), sediment grain size, sediment magnetic susceptibility and elemental geochemistry, especially concentrations of the heavy metals Cu, Zn and Pb. The high heavy metal concentrations are demonstrated by the very high contamination factors (CF > 6) for Cu and Zn, with CF values mostly >50 for Cu for the mine-impacted sediments. Although the addition of mine waste into the King River catchment has ceased, the catchment continues to be a source of these heavy metals due to acid rock drainage and remobilisation of mine waste in storage in the river banks, river bed and delta. The addition of heavy metals to the harbour sourced from the Mount Lyell mines preceded the advent of direct tailings disposal into the Queen River in 1915 with the metals probably provided by acid rock drainage from the Mount Lyell mining area.     

Geomorphology,geology and palaeohydrology of the broad alluvial valleys of the Salt River System,Western Australia

The Salt River System forms the connection between the saline lakes of the Yilgarn River catchment in the east and the rejuvenated Avon River System in the west. Judging from the age of the deposits in the palaeochannels of the Salt River after the Darling uplift and from the deltaic deposits of the river before the uplift, it appears that the river has been occupying this same course since the Early Tertiary. The uplift dammed the course of the river and caused the formation of large inland lakes. The inland lake at Yenyening persisted for a long time until the opening of the northern outlet of the Avon. This explains the absence of sedimentary deposits from the Avon in the Perth Basin during the closure time. The relatively thick sediments that fill up the palaeochannels comprise three formations of the Salt River Group: South Caroline Clay, Yenyening Formation and Quairading Sandstone. The reconstruction of the palaeoriver showed that the river was occupying a steep gorge about 70 m deep with a slope of about 0.35 m km^‐1.     

金矿区河水和底泥中重金属含量分布与耦合关系

河流中河水与底泥中重金属含量之间的关系对于河流污染防治意义重大。对某金矿区3种典型河流的河水与底泥中的重金属含量进行分析,发现4条河流均有超过国家标准限值的情况,河水中7种重金属元素均出现超标,Cr、As元素超标不严重;底泥中Hg、Pb、Cr、Cu、Zn超标,其中Hg超标最严重,河水和底泥中Hg最大超标倍数分别达到3099倍和244倍。河流中重金属主要赋存形态为沉积态,底泥的吸附解吸作用是河流底泥和河水中重金属沿程变化的主控因素;金矿区区域上河水和底泥中重金属很好地服从Langmuir等温吸附模式。矿业活动、地层岩性均会影响底泥对重金属的平均最大吸附容量,流径黄土区的双桥河平均最大吸附容量最大。研究结果为矿山河流污染防治与预警提供了参考依据。     

Multi-elemental composition of the Sava River sediments (Slovenia,EU)

The Sava River is the longest river in Slovenia and has been subjected to pollution in the past. Fine-grained channel sediments, which were deposited during the high-water event in July 2009, along the river course in Slovenia were sampled at 12 locations in order to determine the content of a large set of chemical elements and assess possible levels of pollution. Sediment samples were air-dried. Two grain size fractions (<0.063 and <0.125 mm) were prepared for chemical analyses by dry sieving. Elemental levels of each sample were determined after aqua regia extraction (1 h, 95 °C) by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Elemental levels did not exceed the legislation action limit values, indicating that the Sava River recently deposited alluvial sediments are not contaminated with potentially toxic metals. The results show that the chemical composition of the Sava River sediments is comparable to the average composition of stream sediments within Europe. Some light impacts of anthropogenic activities and lithological-driven influential factors to the elemental composition of sediments were observed. Slight As enrichment is possibly a consequence of eroding of slag dumps and As-contaminated soil on Sava River banks and emissions from treated sewage waters. Lead (Pb) is increased in the Litija area as a consequence of historic mining and increased zinc (Zn) and cadmium (Cd) concentrations after the Savinja River confluence because of historic smelting industry in its catchment area. Phosphorous levels in sediments are very likely driven by the emissions from farming and urbanisation. Increased Ba and Pb levels (but still being below the action value) are detected in sample downstream Kr?ko.     

Distinguishing between natural and anthropogenic sources of metals entering the Irish Sea

International agreements (e.g. OSPAR) on the release of hazardous substances into the marine environment and environmental assessments of shelf seas require that concentrations and bioavailability of metals from anthropogenic sources can be distinguished from those originating as a result of natural geological processes. The development of a methodology for distinguishing between anthropogenic and natural sources of metals entering the Irish Sea through river inputs is described. The geochemistry of stream, river and estuarine sediments has been used to identify background geochemical signatures, related to geology, and modifications to these signatures by anthropogenic activities. The British Geological Survey (BGS) geochemical database, based on stream sediments from 1 to 2 km² catchments, was used to derive the background signatures. Where mining activity was present, the impact on the signature was estimated by comparison with the geochemistry of sediments from a geologically similar, but mining free, area. River sediment samples taken upstream and downstream of major towns were used respectively to test the validity of using stream sediments to estimate the chemistry of the major river sediment and to provide an indication of the anthropogenic impact related to urban and industrial development. The geochemistry of estuarine sediments from surface samples and cores was then compared with river and offshore sediment chemistry to assess the importance of riverine inputs to the Irish Sea. Studies were undertaken in the Solway, Ribble, Wyre and Mersey estuaries. The results verify that catchment averages of stream sediments and major river samples have comparable chemistry where anthropogenic influences are small. Major urban and industrial (including mining) development causes easily recognised departures from the natural multi-element geochemical signature in river sediment samples downstream of the development and enhanced metal levels are observed in sediments from estuaries with industrial catchments. Stream sediment chemistry coupled with limited river and estuarine sampling provides a cost-effective means of identifying anthropogenic metal inputs to the marine environment. Investigations of field and laboratory protocols to characterise biological impact (bioaccumulation) of metals in sediments of the Irish Sea and its estuaries show that useful assessments can be made by a combination of surveys with bioindicator species such as clams Scrobicularia plana, selective sediment measurements that mimic the ‘biologically available’ fractions, and laboratory (mesocosm) studies.     

Glacial Lake Vitim, a 3000-km outburst flood from Siberia to the Arctic Ocean

A prominent lake formed when glaciers descending from the Kodar Range blocked the River Vitim in central Transbaikalia, Siberia. Glacial Lake Vitim, evidenced by palaeoshorelines and deltas, covered 23,500 km² and held a volume of ~ 3000 km³. We infer that a large canyon in the area of the postulated ice dam served as a spillway during an outburst flood that drained through the rivers Vitim and Lena into the Arctic Ocean. The inferred outburst flood, of a magnitude comparable to the largest known floods on Earth, possibly explains a freshwater spike at ~ 13 cal ka BP inferred from Arctic Ocean sediments.     

Pb isotope evidence for contaminant-metal dispersal in an international river system: The lower Danube catchment,Eastern Europe

Lead isotope signatures (²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb, ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁶Pb, ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb, ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb), determined by magnetic sector ICP-MS in river channel sediment, metal ores and mine waste, have been used as geochemical tracers to quantify the delivery and dispersal of sediment-associated metals in the lower Danube River catchment. Due to a diverse geology and range of ore-body ages, Pb isotope signatures in ore-bodies within the lower Danube River catchment show considerable variation, even within individual metallogenic zones. It is also possible to discriminate between the Pb isotopic signatures in mine waste and river sediment within river systems draining individual ore bodies. Lead isotopic data, along with multi-element data; were used to establish the provenance of river sediments and quantify sedimentary contributions to mining-affected tributaries and to the Danube River. Data indicate that mining-affected tributaries in Serbia and Bulgaria contribute up to 30% of the river channel sediment load of the lower Danube River. Quantifying relative sediment contributions from mining-affected tributaries enables spatial patterns in sediment-associated metal and As concentrations to be interpreted in terms of key contaminant sources. Combining geochemical survey data with that regarding the provenance of contaminated sediments can therefore be used to identify foci for remediation and environmental management strategies.     

Erosion balance in the watersheds of the western Paris Basin by high-frequency monitoring of discharge and suspended sediment in surface water

An accurate quantification of erosion, based on high-frequency monitoring of river discharge and suspended sediment fluxes is proposed for two watersheds in the western Paris Basin, a sensitive area with respect to erosion phenomena. This continuous monitoring makes it possible to include flood events of short duration, but significant erosion potential. The obtained erosion rate (16 and 21 t?km^?2?yr^?1) is among the weakest of the planet (3.5 to 18?000 t?km^?2?yr^?1). However, this annual balance does not reflect the behaviour of these rivers which can be torrential in certain cases. To cite this article: B. Laignel et al., C. R. Geoscience 338 (2006).     

Environmental effects of river sand mining: a case from the river catchments of Vembanad lake,Southwest coast of India

Rivers in the southwest coast of India are under immense pressure due to various kinds of human activities among which indiscriminate extraction of construction grade sand is the most disastrous one. The situation is rather alarming in the rivers draining the Vembanad lake catchments as the area hosts one of the fast developing urban-cum-industrial centre, the Kochi city, otherwise called the Queen of Arabian Sea. The Vembanad lake catchments are drained by seven rivers whose length varies between 78 and 244 km and catchment area between 847 and 5,398 km². On an average, 11.73 million ty⁻¹ of sand and gravel are being extracted from the active channels and 0.414 million ty⁻¹ of sand from the river floodplains. The quantity of instream mining is about 40 times the higher than the sand input estimated in the gauging stations. As a result of indiscriminate sand mining, the riverbed in the storage zone is getting lowered at a rate of 7–15 cm y⁻¹ over the past two decades. This, in turn, imposes severe damages to the physical and biological environments of these river systems. The present paper deals with the environmental effects of indiscriminate sand mining from the small catchment rivers in the southwest coast of India, taking the case of the rivers draining the Vembanad lake catchments as an example.     

Environmental impact of the 1.8 ka Taupo eruption, New Zealand: Landscape responses to a large-scale explosive rhyolite eruption

Large-scale ignimbrite eruptions from rhyolitic caldera volcanoes can trigger geologically instantaneous changes in sedimentary systems over huge areas by either burying existing environments or overloading them with vast quantities of unconsolidated particulate material. The post-eruption readjustment of the landscape to such perturbations is one of the most dramatic processes in physical sedimentology, exemplified here by the 1.8 ka Taupo eruption in the central North Island of New Zealand. This eruption generated voluminous fall deposits, then climaxed with emplacement of a c. 30 km³ non-welded ignimbrite over a near-circular area of c. 20 000 km². Approximately 90% of the area, but < 50% of the ignimbrite volume, is represented by a landscape-mantling unit that covered the pre-eruption topography to a depth varying from c. 10 m in proximal areas to less than 15–30 cm distally. The remainder of the ignimbrite deposit is represented by landscape-modifying material that ponded in valley bottoms and depressions to thicknesses of up to 70 m, with no systematic variation in thickness with distance from source.The headwaters of many of the North Island's largest rivers were impacted by both the primary pyroclastic fall and flow material. Large-scale post-eruption remobilisation of this material, coupled with the re-establishment of fluvial systems, occurred in a distinct sequence as recorded by the evolution of sedimentary facies in different sub-environments. Following an initial period dominated by mass flows, re-establishment of fluvial systems began with the headward erosion of box canyons through the ponded ignimbrite deposits, a process often associated with the break-out of temporary lakes. Aggradational streams developed in these channels rapidly evolved from shallow, ephemeral, sediment-laden outbursts associated with flash flood events to deeper, permanent braided rivers, before declining sediment yields led to retrenchment of single thread rivers and a return to pre-eruption gradients and bedloads years to decades later. Typically the modern profile of many streams and rivers follow closely their pre-eruption profiles, and incision and erosion is overwhelmingly confined to the deposits of the eruption itself.Although the general remobilisation pattern is similar for all impacted river systems, detailed studies of the Waikato, Rangitaiki, Mohaka, Ngaruroro and Whanganui catchments show that the relative timing and scale of each eruption response phase differs between each catchment. These reflect differences in catchment physiography and hydrology, and the volume and type of pyroclastic material deposited in each. Ultimately, the landscape response reflects the relative spatial distributions of, and the volumetric ratios between, the volumes of pyroclastic debris, water, and accommodation space in the basin (cf. Kataoka and Manville, this volume).     

Bankline change and the facets of riverine hazards in the floodplain of Subansiri–Ranganadi Doab, Brahmaputra Valley, India

Subansiri?CRanganadi Doab (confluence country), located in Lakhimpur district, Assam, is one of the worst flood-affected areas in Brahmaputra valley. The Doab is well populated, and land around these rivers is extensively used for cultivation. As means of flood protection, embankments were constructed in the 1950s along the banks of both the rivers. On the other hand, these rivers are dynamic in terms of banklines and other forms of channel changes. Progressive migration of bankline, due to erosion, results in loss of cultivable land. Moreover, it causes breaches in the embankments increasing the severity of flood in the Doab. This paper attempts to study the changes in the banklines of two major rivers in the floodplains of the Subansiri?CRanganadi Doab during 1997?C2009 in the context of the riverine hazards it brings to the floodplain dwellers. The shift of the banklines in Subansiri?CRanganadi Doab, downstream of North Lakhimpur, has been estimated using IRS LISS imageries of 1997 and 2009 in GIS environment. The river Subansiri during the study period has migrated westward and has widened substantially resulting in erosion of an area of ~19.137?km². For Ranganadi, the total area that has been eroded due to channel changes is ~0.897?km². The channel changes are mainly due to concave bank erosion associated with high stages of flow. Channel widening in Subansiri and Ranganadi in the study area during the decades of 1990s and 2000 has led to frequent breaches in the embankments. Lateral erosion and inundation due to embankment failure are the most dominant facets of riverine hazards in the study area as these lead to loss of livelihood. Therefore, it is necessary to incorporate geomorphic changes in formulating flood management programmes.