Hydrological and geochemical characteristics of the Jamari and Jiparana river basins (Rondonia,Brazil)

The authors investigate the hydrological and geochemical characteristics of the Jamari (30430 km²) and Jiparana (60350 km²) river basins (Amazonia), during the period 1978–1984. A spectral analysis of Fourier is applied to time series of mean monthly river discharges, in order to assess the contribution (7 to 8%) of the surface runoff to the total river flow. The mean annual runoff coefficient calculated for the Jiparana river basin (36%), is higher than for the Jamari (32%), and this coefficient increases during the study period, only for the Jiparana. The total specific suspended sediment discharge calculated for both rivers shows the same value 13 t/km²/y, and the estimated suspended sediment concentration in the surface runoff is slightly superior for the Jiparana river (0.3 g/l) than for the Jamari one (0.2 g/l). The river suspended sediments are mainly composed of kaolinite, quartz and feldspar, but the Jiparana is more enriched in quartz. For both rivers, the dominant clay mineral is the kaolinite which is in agreement with the rock weathering type determined for both basins using the Tardy's weathering index: the monosiallitisation. The total chemical erosion rate calculated after correction for the atmospheric inputs (ions and CO₂), is higher for the Jiparana (10.11 t/km²/y) than for the Jamari river basin (7.75 t/km²/y). These values are lower than the mechanical denudation rate calculated previously for both river basins.     

Sediment accumulation rate in the lakes of Kumaun Himalaya,India using210Pb and226Ra

The rate of sedimentation and the source of sediments in the lake basins of Nainital region, Kumaun Himalaya, have been estimated employing²¹⁰Pb and²¹⁰Ra methods. This has yielded a rate of sedimentation of 11.5, 4.70, 3.72, and 3.00 mm/yr in Nainital, Bhimtal, Naukuchiyatal, and Sattal lakes, respectively. The higher rate of sedimentation in Nainital lake, compared to other lakes, is related to faster erosion in the catchment aided by greater anthropogenic activity, while the slowest rate in Sattal lake is due to less erosion and more input of soil-derived material involving a slow rate of accumulation.     

Sedimentation in a river dominated estuary

The Mgeni Estuary on the wave dominated east coast of South Africa occupies a narrow, bedrock confined, alluvial valley and is partially blocked at the coast by an elongate sandy barrier. Fluvial sediment extends to the barrier and marine deposition is restricted to a small flood tidal delta. Sequential aerial photography, sediment sampling and topographical surveys reveal a cyclical pattern of sedimentation that is mediated by severe fluvial floods which exceed normal energy thresholds. During severe floods (up to 10x 10³ m³ s^?1), lateral channel confinement promotes vertical erosion ofbed material. Eroded material is deposited as an ephemeral delta in the sea. After floods the river gradient is restored within a few months through rapid fluvial deposition and formation of a shallow, braided channel. Over an extended period (approximately 70 years) the estuary banks and bars are stabilised by vegetation and mud deposition. Subsequent downcutting in marginal areas transforms the channel to an anastomosing pattern which represents a stable morphology which adjusts to the normal range of hydrodynamic conditions. This cyclical pattern of deposition produces multiple fill sequences in such estuaries under conditions of stable sea level. The barrier and adjacent coastline prograde temporarily after major floods as the eroded barrier is reformed by wave action, but excess sediment is ultimately eroded as waves adjust the barrier to an equilibrium plan form morphology. Deltaic progradation is prevented by a steep nearshore slope, and rapid sediment dispersal by wave action and shelf currents. During transgression, estuarine sedimentation patterns are controlled by the balance between sedimentation rates and receiving basin volume. If fluvial sedimentation keeps pace with the volume increase of a basin an estuary may remain shallow and river dominated throughout its evolution and excess fluvial sediments pass through the estuary into the sea. Only if the rate of volume increase of the drowned river valley exceeds the volume of sediment supply are deep water environments formed. Under such conditions an estuary becomes a sediment sink and infills by deltaic progradation and lateral accretion as predicted by evolutionary models for microtidal estuaries. Bedrock valley geometry may exert an important control on this rate of volume increase independently of variations in the rate of relative sea level change. If estuarine morphology is viewed as a function of the balance of wave, tidal and fluvial processes, the Mgeni Estuary may be defined as a river dominated estuary in which deltaic progradation at the coast is limited by high wave energy. It is broadly representative of other river dominated estuaries along the Natal coast and a conceptual regional depositional model is proposed. Refinement of a globally applicable model will require further comparative studies of river dominated estuaries in this and other settings, but it is proposed that river dominated estuaries represent a distinct type of estuarine morphology.     

Evaluation of sediment yield and soil loss by the MPSIAC model using GIS at Golestan watershed, northeast of Iran

Watershed degradation due to soil erosion and sedimentation is considered to be one of the major environmental problems in Iran. In order to address the critical conditions of watershed degradation in arid and semiarid regions, a study based on the Modified Pacific Southwest Inter-Agency Committee (MPSIAC) model was carried out at Golestan watershed, northeast of Iran. The model information layers comprising nine effective factors in erosion and sedimentation at the watershed site were obtained by digitalization and spatial interpolation of the basic information data in a GIS program. These factors are geology, soil, climate, runoff, topography, land cover, land use, channel, and upland erosion. The source data for the model were obtained from available records on rainfall and river discharge and sediment, topography, land use, geology, and soil maps as well as field surveys and laboratory analysis. The results of the MPSIAC model indicated that 60.75 % (194.4 km²) and 54.97 % (175.9 km²) of the total watershed area were classified in the heavy sedimentation and erosion classes, and the total basin sediment yield and erosion were calculated as 4,171.1 and 17,813.4 m³ km^?2 year^?1, respectively. In the sensitivity analysis, it was found that the most sensitive parameters of the model in order of importance were topography (slope), land cover and use, runoff, and channel erosion (R ²?=?0.92–0.94), while geology, climate (rainfall), soil, and upland erosion factors were found to have moderate effect to the model output (R ²?=?0.74–0.59).     

Flow dynamics,sedimentation and erosion of glacial lake outburst floods along the Middle Pleistocene Scandinavian Ice Sheet (northern central Europe)

During the Middle Pleistocene late Saalian glaciation of northern central Europe numerous pro‐glacial lakes formed along the southwestern margin of the Scandinavian Ice Sheet. Little is known about the drainage history of these lakes, the pathways of glacial lake outburst floods and their impacts on erosion, sedimentation and landscape evolution. This study investigated the impact of the late Saalian Weser and Münsterland Lake (Germany) outburst floods. In particular, we reconstructed the routing and flow dynamics of the lake outburst flood and analysed the flood related sediments. We employed one‐dimensional hydraulic modelling to calculate glacial lake outburst flood hydrographs. We modelled the flow pathway and local flow conditions along the pathway based on the boundary conditions of two different hydrographs and two different ice‐margin positions. The modelling results were compared with geomorphological and sedimentological field data in order to estimate the magnitude and impact of the flood on erosion and sedimentation. Two major lake drainage events are reconstructed for the study area, during which approximately 90–50 km³ of water was released. Modelling results indicate that the lake outburst floods created a high‐energy flood wave with a height of 35–50 m in confined valley areas that rapidly spread out into the Lower Rhine Embayment eventually flowing into the North Sea basin. The sedimentary record of the outburst floods comprises poorly sorted coarse‐grained gravel bars, long‐wavelength bedforms and sandy bedforms deposited by supercritical and subcritical flows. Some parts of the sandy flood deposits are rich in reworked mammoth bones or mammoth and horse teeth, pointing to reworking of older fluvial sediments, hydraulic concentration and subsequent re‐sedimentation of vertebrate remains. These deposits are preserved in sheltered areas or at high elevations, well above the influence of postglacial fluvial erosion. The flood‐related erosional features include up to 80‐m‐deep scour pools, alluvial channels and streamlined hills.     

川西坳陷上侏罗统遂宁组洪水-漫湖沉积特征

利用岩芯、薄片鉴定、粒度分析、录井及测井解释等资料和手段,对四川盆地川西坳陷上侏罗统遂宁组沉积特征进行研究。结果表明,川西坳陷在遂宁组沉积时期处于稳定坳陷阶段,沉积作用明显受周期性洪水注入影响,形成“洪水-漫湖”沉积体系。“洪水-漫湖”沉积主要发育冲积扇、曲流河、曲流河三角洲和湖泊4个沉积相和若干个沉积微相,其沉积具有以下特征:①频繁的湖平面升降,形成砂泥互层的地层叠加样式;②缺乏大面积分布的半深湖-深湖沉积;③河流相为主要的沉积类型;④湖盆具有多物源、多期漫湖、满盆含砂的沉积特点。“洪水-漫湖”是川西坳陷遂宁组一种沉积充填新模式,对指导油气勘探具有重要的理论和实践意义。     

Composition and mineralogy of suspended sediment in the fluvio-estuarine zone of the Loire River, France

The fluvio-tidal transition of suspended sediment in terms of mineralogy and composition in the Loire River drainage basin, the largest French river basin, was investigated in the fluvial zone at Montjean and in the tidal zone at Mauves-Thouaré, for a complete seasonal cycle. At Montjean, where the river experiences unidirectional flow, the composition and mineralogy (especially clays and clay minerals) of river suspended material (RSM) are governed by the river discharge, upstream contributions, climatic conditions and microbiological activities. However, due to reversing tidal and river currents at Thouaré, in the zone of tidal dynamics, these relations are changed. In the downstream direction sand and clay content in the RSM decrease while the silt content increases. Among clay minerals, between these two observation stations, montmorillonite remains constant, kaolinite diminishes, and the other minerals increase downstream. Combustible material (organic) and nitrate (NO₃) contents in the RSM increase whereas the phosphate (PO₄^3-) and CaCO₃ contents decline considerably during transport. At the head of the tidal zone, where the river flow encounters the tidal influence, there is a relatively stationary water mass (tidal slack) where sands, clays, phosphate, carbonate and silica are deposited by physical and chemical processes. Physical sedimentation takes place by simple gravitational deposition (sands), and by sorting and complicated differential settling (clays); chemical sedimentation takes place by precipitation (calcite-CaCO₃; apatite-Ca₅ (PO₄)³ (OH,F,Cl); coagulation of dissolved silica-SiO₂) in connection with seasonal algal bloom and eutrophic events.     

Characteristics of isotope in precipitation,river water and lake water in the Manasarovar basin of Qinghai–Tibet Plateau

The stable hydrogen and oxygen of lake, river, rain and snow waters were investigated to understand the water cycle characteristics of the drainage basin of Manasarovar Lake in Tibet. Both δD and δ ¹⁸O of river water are larger than those of lake water and the effect of altitude on both δD and δ ¹⁸O is not very significant. This phenomenon was suggested to occur because Manasarovar basin is located in Qinghai–Tibet Plateau which has low latitude, high altitude, abundant glaciers, thin air and intensive solar radiation, resulting in higher evaporation in lake water.     

The timing of regional Lateglacial events and post-glacial sedimentation rates from Lake Superior

We analyze both new and previously published paleomagnetic records of secular variation (PSV) from Lake Superior sediment cores and compare these records to correlated rhythmite (varve) thickness records to determine post-glacial sedimentation rates and to reassess the termination of glaciolacustrine varves in the basin. The results suggest that offshore sedimentation rates have exhibited considerable spatial variation over the past 8000 years, particularly during the mid-Holocene. We attribute offshore, mid-Holocene sedimentation changes to alterations in whole basin circulation, perhaps precipitated by a greater dominance of the Gulf of Mexico air mass during the summer season. Nearshore bays are characterized by high sedimentation rates for at least 1000 years after varve cessation and during a period between around 4500 and 2000 cal. BP. After 2000 cal. BP, sedimentation rates subsided to earlier rates. The increases between 4500 and 2000 cal. BP are probably due to lake level fall after the Nipissing II highstand.The older glaciolacustrine varve thickness records suggest that the influx of glacially derived sediment ended abruptly everywhere in the lake, except near the Lake Nipigon inlets. Multiple sediment cores reveal 36 anomalously thick varves, previously ascribed to the formation of the Nakina moraine, which were deposited just prior to varve cessation in the open lake. The PSV records support the observation that the cessation of these thick varves is a temporally correlative event, occurring at 9035±170 cal. BP (calibrated years before 1950, ca 7950–8250 ¹⁴C BP). This date would correlate to the eastern diversion of Lake Agassiz and glacial meltwater into Lake Ojibway.     

A ~180,000 years sedimentation history of a perialpine overdeepened glacial trough (Wehntal, N-Switzerland)

A 30 m-deep drill core from a glacially overdeepened trough in Northern Switzerland recovered a ~180 ka old sedimentary succession that provides new insights into the timing and nature of erosion–sedimentation processes in the Swiss lowlands. The luminescence-dated stratigraphic succession starts at the bottom of the core with laminated carbonate-rich lake sediments reflecting deposition in a proglacial lake between ~180 and 130 ka ago (Marine Isotope Stage MIS 6). Anomalies in geotechnical properties and the occurrence of deformation structures suggest temporary ice contact around 140 ka. Up-core, organic content increases in the lake deposits indicating a warming of climate. These sediments are overlain by a peat deposit characterised by pollen assemblages typical of the late Eemian (MIS 5e). An abrupt transition following this interglacial encompasses a likely hiatus and probably marks a sudden lowering of the water level. The peat unit is overlain by deposits of a cold unproductive lake dated to late MIS 5 and MIS 4, which do not show any direct influence from glaciers. An upper peat unit, the so-called «Mammoth peat», previously encountered in construction pits, interrupts this cold lacustrine phase and marks more temperate climatic conditions between 60 and 45 ka (MIS 3). In the upper part of the core, a succession of fluvial and alluvial deposits documents the Late Glacial and Holocene sedimentation in the basin. The sedimentary succession at Wehntal confirms that the glaciation during MIS 6 did not apparently cause the overdeepening of the valley, as the lacustrine basin fill covering most of MIS 6 is still preserved. Consequently, erosion of the basin is most likely linked to an older glaciation. This study shows that new dating techniques combined with palaeoenvironmental interpretations of sediments from such overdeepened troughs provide valuable insights into the past glacial history.     

The Quaternary evolution of the Gulf of Corinth, central Greece: coupling between surface processes and flow in the lower continental crust

The Gulf of Corinth in central Greece is an active normal fault zone with particularly clear evidence of isostatic footwall uplift, constrained by Quaternary marine terraces, and hanging-wall subsidence and sedimentation. It is bounded to the south by a Pliocene to Early Pleistocene sedimentary basin, which is now eroding into the Gulf. Previous work has suggested that the relief across this region has increased dramatically since the Early Pleistocene, due to the isostatic response to increased rates of footwall erosion and hanging-wall sedimentation. It is indeed assumed here that incision accompanying the draw-down of global sea-level at 0.9 Ma, during the first major Pleistocene glaciation, initiated the erosion of the basin south of the Gulf of Corinth and so abruptly increased the sedimentation rate in the Gulf. The resulting transient thermal and isostatic response to these changes is modelled, with the subsiding depocentre and eroding sediment source coupled by flow in the lower continental crust. The subsequent enhancement of relief, involving an increase in bathymetry from near zero to 900 m and 500 m of uplift of the eroding land surface in the sediment source, is shown to be a direct consequence of this change. The model is sensitive to the effective viscosity of the lower crust, and can thus resolve this parameter by matching observations. A value of 6×10¹⁹ Pa s is indicated, suggesting a viscosity at the Moho no greater than 10¹⁸ Pa s. Similar transient topographic effects caused by increased rates of sedimentation and erosion are likely to be widespread within the geological record, suggesting that this coupling process involving flow in the weak lower crust may be of major geological and geomorphological importance.     

An extraction,analysis, and prioritization of Asna river sub-basins,based on geomorphometric parameters using geospatial tools

The Asna river basin is located in Hingoli and Nanded districts of Marathwada region of Maharashtra. A geomorphometric analysis is an important method for the investigation and management of natural resources of watershed. The geomorphometric analysis of Asna river basin classifies three sub-basins that have been delineated using GIS and remote sensing through measurements of linear, aerial, and relief aspects. The Asna river basin comprises an area of 1187 km² with seventh-order drainage pattern. As per Strahler classification, the upper part of the basin shows dendritic to sub-dendritic and the lower part exhibits parallel to sub-parallel drainage pattern. The total numbers of stream segments are 2422 and length of streams is 2187.92 km. The bifurcation value ranges from 1.26 to 5.58 indicating that there are no structural disturbances. The form factor value (0.49) indicates that the shape of the basin is moderately circular. The high values of drainage density, stream frequency, and low infiltration number indicate the high runoff due to impermeable lithology. The slope of the basin varies from 1 to 32.2%, terrain elevation ranges from 333 to 551 m, and overall relief of the basin is 218 m amsl. River sub-basin prioritization has an immense importance in natural resource management, especially in semi-arid regions. The present study is an attempt to prioritize the sub-basins of Asna river based on geomorphometric parameters. The weightage is assigned to different morphometric parameters of sub-basins based on erosion potential. The Asna river sub-basins have been classified into three categories as high, medium, and low on the basis of priorities for soil and water conservation. It is confirmed that sub-basin I is characterized as highly vulnerable to erosion and has high sedimentation load; sub-basin II has low priority, i.e., very low erodibility; and sub-basin III is of moderate type. The morphometric analysis and prioritization methods can be applied to hydrological studies in surface as well as subsurface water, climatic studies, rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharging sites, and watershed management.     

Chernobyl 137Cs redistribution in the small basin of the Lokna river,Central Russia

The redistribution of Chernobyl ¹³⁷Cs within a small drainage basin was studied in the Lokna river basin, Tula region, Central Russia. Sheet erosion on the cultivated part of basin is the main reason for ¹³⁷Cs horizontal migration. However there is no statistically significant ¹³⁷Cs redistribution within cultivated field because of relatively low erosion rates. The valley bottom is the main sink of ¹³⁷Cs, where 73–84% eroded soil is stored. The resulting ¹³⁷Cs level in the valley bottom is 1.5–2 times that of the initial ¹³⁷Cs fallout.     

Soil-erosion assessment at basin scale through 137Cs content analysis based on pedo-morphological units

Soil loss evaluation by means of radioisotopic content measurements represents a promising technique, half-way between field surveys and theoretical models, which still suffers from its practical limits when applied at basin scale. A main limit is represented by the costs of field investigations and laboratory investigations on the high number of soil samples required by a traditional sampling scheme, such as regular grid or transects. A non-conventional soil sampling scheme was tested with the aim to consider a relative scanty number of soil samples and to verify the feasibility of this technique on large areas. This scheme was based on the hypothesis that land analysis and classification could point out areas characterised by homogeneous behaviour with respect to the ¹³⁷Cs deposition and transmission model. A Geographic Information System (GIS)-aided procedure allowed to classify the selected basin area in pedo-morphological units, representative of the different pedologic, morphologic and land-use conditions, to locate few sampling points for each unit. Outcomes pointed out a low correlation between ¹³⁷Cs contents and soil physical and compositional characteristics. Nevertheless, the isotopic methodology allowed to estimate a total soil loss value at basin scale almost consistent with both observed data, given by reservoir sedimentation measurements and estimates from the application of the RUSLE model. Thus, the results can be considered encouraging and they allow to deem that the isotopic methodology can be refined in order to account for erosion and deposition processes even at river basin scale and with a limited number of soil samples.     

Geochemical record of Late Quaternary paleoclimate from lacustrine sediments of paleo-lake San Felipe,western Sonora Desert,Mexico

Stratigraphy, mineralogy, major and trace elements, organic carbon, carbonate, sulfate and AMS ¹⁴C dates are used to infer Late Quaternary depositional environments and paleo-hydrological conditions in the paleo-lake San Felipe located in the western part of Sonora Desert. Sediment stratigraphy divides the depth profile into aeolian and pluvio-lacustrine regimes. Aeolian regime is constrained to >44.5 ¹⁴C kyr BP. The pluvio-lacustrine regime consists of two stratigraphic units with characteristic geochemical proxies indicating changing chemical weathering, clastic input, salinity and provenance and provides a measure of varying climatic conditions between ca. 37 and 3 ¹⁴C kyr BP. Lower catchment erosion and inflow into the basin, higher lake productivity, precipitation of Na-sulfate mineral and higher clastic input from the proximal aeolian deposits during ca. 37–14 ¹⁴C kyr BP are comparable to the regional registers of dominant winter rainfall related to westerly storm tracks and colder conditions. In the last 12 ¹⁴C kyr BP, higher sedimentation and inflow and lower productivity are comparable to dominant summer rainfall. Higher humidity and lake productivity during ca. 37–29 ¹⁴C kyr BP is possibly due to the position of westerly storm tracks at 31°N and the gradually reducing humidity till ca. 14 ¹⁴C kyr BP is related to northerly migration of westerly storm tracks. Regional arid conditions during ca. 11 ¹⁴C kyr BP and ca. 6 ¹⁴C kyr BP are characterized by influx of coarser quartz and feldspars into the basin.     

Temporal changes in the phytoplankton community of the southern basin of Lake Baikal over the last 24,000 years recorded by photosynthetic pigments in a sediment core

Photosynthetic pigments and other indicators of phytoplankton were analyzed in a dated undisturbed sediment core obtained from the southern basin of Lake Baikal to reveal temporal changes in the phytoplankton community in the lake through the last glacial/post-glacial transition. The sedimentation age of the core spans the last 24 ¹⁴C ka. Chlorophyll a, its derivatives, carotenoids and total organic carbon (TOC) started to increase after 15 ¹⁴C ka, and the onset of biogenic silica occurred at 10 ¹⁴C ka. This indicated that the post-glacial growth of diatoms was preceded by that of other phytoplankton groups. In the record of the pigments and TOC, a temporary decrease was observed in the period 11.5–10.5 ¹⁴C ka, corresponding to the Younger Dryas cold period. The similarity found between the depth profiles of pyropheophytin a and steryl chlorin esters formed through predation of phytoplankton by zooplankton and that of TOC suggested the important contribution of fecal pellets to sedimentary organic matter in the lake.     

长江澄通河段河床冲淤对流域减沙的响应

为研究潮汐河道不同区段在流域来沙减少条件下的冲淤响应机制,以长江澄通河段为例,根据水动力特性将其划分为江阴—天生港和天生港—徐六泾两段,结合1950—2014年的水沙资料及2005—2014年的地形资料,比较两段冲淤对流域减沙的响应差异。结果表明:上游江阴—天生港段对流域减沙敏感,较快地由淤积转为冲刷;下游天生港—徐六泾段1998—2004年期间受洪季平均径流流量减小、潮汐顶托作用相对增大的影响,冲刷速率为减小趋势,2004年以后受洪季平均径流流量增大、潮汐顶托作用相对减小及流域来沙持续减少的共同影响,冲刷速率为增大趋势。使得潮汐动力对天生港—徐六泾段由促淤变为促冲的临界洪季平均径流流量为36 000 m3/s,该径流流量也是使得潮汐顶托作用在江阴—天生港段由不显著变为显著的临界流量。目前,流域减沙已加剧澄通河段整体的冲刷。     

对龙羊峡形成的初步认识

从地貌和新构造的角度实际考察了龙羊峡，建立了共和盆地和龙羊峡地区构造抬升和变形的几何模型。根据模型笔者认为，黄河溯源侵蚀到达贵德盆地之后，龙羊峡西段由海拔3000m的夷平面封闭共和古湖，共和盆地周围的水体流向共和古湖；峡谷东段拉吉玛、罗汉堂地区已进行溯源侵蚀，水体向东流向贵得盆地。共和运动发生时，共和盆地作为一个完整的次级刚性活动块体被向东挤出和向东南微量顺时针旋转，同时，盆地的西端垂直构造抬升的幅度大于东端，共和古湖的水体重心向东偏移，水面越过海拔3000m的夷平面，向东流向贵德盆地，流水作用在两个盆地之间快速下切形成现今的龙羊峡。     

Formation of the Upper Pleistocene terraces of Lake Van (Turkey)

Sedimentological and geomorphological studies of terraces around Lake Van (1647 m) provided a preliminary framework for lake‐level variations. The elevations of terraces and past lake level were measured with a differential global positioning system. A chronology is developed using ²³⁴U/²³⁰Th dating of travertines, ³⁹Ar/⁴⁰Ar dating of pyroclastites and ¹⁴C dating of organic matter. Facies and stratigraphic correlations identify four transgressions (C1′, C1″, C2′ and C2″), each followed by a regression which ended with low lake levels that caused river incision and terrace formation. Evidence of the oldest transgression (C1′) is found in the uppermost reaches of valleys up to 1755 m, an altitude higher than the present lake threshold (1736 m). This C1′ transgression may be related to pyroclastic flows which dammed an outlet located in the western part of the lake basin and which is dated to before 105 ka. After 100 ka, a second transgression (C1″) reached 1730/1735 m, possibly related to a younger ignimbrite flow, in association with high water inflow (warm and/or wetter conditions). The two younger transgressions reached 1700–1705 m. The first one (C2′) is dated to 26–24.5 cal. ka BP and the second one (C2″) to 21–20 cal. ka BP. Available data suggest that the long‐term lake‐level changes responded mainly to climate oscillations. Additional events such as river captures caused by volcanic falls filling valleys, tectonism, erosion and karstic diversion may have impacted these long‐term lake‐level changes. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

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.