地震诱发的堰塞湖初步研究

由于地震引发山体滑坡并堵塞河道形成的湖泊称为地震堰塞湖。据统计,我国自1856年以来,共计产生141个地震堰塞湖,按照其形成和造成的灾害来看,堰塞湖可以分为3类:高危型堰塞湖、稳态型堰塞湖和即生即消型堰塞湖。高危型堰塞湖由于蓄水量大、落差大,往往在形成后几天至几年后会被冲垮,形成严重的地震滞后次生水灾。稳态型堰塞湖(亦称“死湖”),可以存在很长时间且湖积水量很大。即生即消型堰塞湖为震时形成的短时堰塞湖,很快会被后来累积的水体冲毁,一般危害不大。如果简单的用时间来区分堰塞湖的类型,那么在一天或者几天内溃决的是即生即消型堰塞湖;几天至100年溃决的是高危型堰塞湖;溃决时间超过100年者,是稳态型堰塞湖。     

Characteristics of glacier outburst flood in the Yarkant river,Karakorum mountains

Conclusions 1. The drainage of the Kyagar glacier dammed lake and the Tram Kangri glacier dammed lake at the upper Shaksgam is the main reason for glacier outburst floods in the Yarkant river. The Kyagar glacier dammed lake is characterized by subglacial drainage, while the Tram Kangri glacier dammed lake by mainly lateral drainage and, secondly, by subglacial drainage. 2. The drainage mechanism of the Tram Kangri ice dam determines the main characteristics of flood hydrography of the Kagun station, while the Kyagar glacier dammed lake plays an important role in the formation of floods. 3. Glacier outburst floods in the Yarkant river are characterized mainly by high peak discharge, big rising rate, small total volume and short duration. The floods happen mostly from late summer to early autumn. A period of 6 to 10 years in occurrence of large scale glacier outburst floods exist. The periodicity depends mainly on large scale drainage in the Kyagar ice-dammed lake. 4. Formation and dimensions of glacier dams at the upper Shaksgam were determined by long-term variations of the regional climate, whereas the changes of storage capacity in the lake reflect cold and warm changes of alpine region. Therefore, frequent glacier outburst floods indicate glacier advance and climatic variations.     

5.12汶川地震堰塞湖危险性应急评估

5.12汶川地震诱发了33处堰塞湖,威胁下游居民安全。根据收集数据情况,选择堰塞湖的坝高、最大库容和坝体结构作为分级指标,建立了单个堰塞湖溃决危险性评估方法,对21个重点堰塞湖进行应急危险性评估,初步评估为1个处于极高危险、7个处于高危险、5个处于中危险、8个处于低危险。考虑同一流域堰塞湖群的联动效应,建立了流域堰塞湖危险性评估方法,相应提高部分堰塞湖的危险等级。为了方便排险安排,给出了高危险堰塞湖的危险性次序,从高到低依次有唐家山、老鹰岩、南坝、小岗剑上、肖家桥、唐家湾、罐子铺和岩羊滩。由于评估时间紧迫,最后提出了此次评估中存在的问题,并提出了改进建议。     

滑坡堰塞湖溃决风险与过程研究进展

滑坡堰塞湖是山区常见的一种自然灾害,对其溃决风险与过程的科学认知和合理评估是应急处置的关键。外荷载作用下滑坡堰塞体的力学响应、滑坡堰塞湖渐进破坏机理与溃决洪水预测理论是滑坡堰塞湖风险评估研究领域的关键科学问题。本文围绕滑坡堰塞湖形成后的溃决风险与过程展开综述,从定性和定量的角度分别对堰塞湖危险性评价方法进行分析总结,从小尺度、大尺度和超重力场试验技术的角度总结了堰塞湖的溃决机理、溃决过程及其影响因素,从数学方法的角度对堰塞湖溃决洪水预测中经验公式法、简化和精细化数值模拟方法的进展进行总结评价。然而,国内外关于滑坡堰塞湖风险评估领域的研究仍处于起步阶段,空-天-地一体化监测技术、堰塞湖危险性评价中的不确定性问题、堰塞体材料冲蚀特性与溃决机理、堰塞湖溃决洪水精细化模拟等将是未来的重点研究方向。本综述可为堰塞湖防灾减灾和流域水工程风险管理提供有价值的参考。     

崩滑堰塞坝(湖)的地貌环境效应

崩滑堰塞坝(湖)具有显著的地貌环境效应,这种效应在时间尺度上分为短期和长期2种,主要表现在河流水文过程、地貌演变、环境生态、景观等方面.堰塞坝形成初期河流原有生境受到干扰,河流生态和景观出现退化.堰塞体溃决强烈改变下游水文过程及河流地貌,严重冲击河流生境和生态,并可能对下游基础设施和群众生命财产造成灾难性破坏.长期稳定维持的堰塞坝深刻影响河流地貌过程,并显著改善河流生境、生态,提升景观水平.堰塞坝(湖)是河床持续下切、岸坡失稳而自然反馈形成的裂点,能增加河流阻力,控制河床下切,如能长期维持是河流健康稳定的促进因素.     

金沙江上游特米古滑坡堰塞湖成因与演化

金沙江上游巴塘—中咱河段位于青藏高原东南缘,该河段两岸岸坡发育众多的大型古滑坡,且部分古滑坡曾堵塞金沙江形成了堰塞湖,特米大型古滑坡堰塞湖是其中之一。关于特米古滑坡堰塞湖的形成与演化过程目前尚未见有过详细的报道。本文在野外调查的基础上,结合遥感影像解译和年代学测试,对特米古滑坡堰塞湖的地貌和沉积特征进行了详细研究,并对其形成与演化过程进行了分析。研究结果表明,特米古滑坡堰塞湖很可能是由该地区的古地震活动触发大型滑坡并堵塞金沙江形成的,最大湖面面积约为1.42×10⁷ m²,库容蓄水量约为1.46×10⁹ m³。该古堰塞湖的形成时间约为1.8 ka BP,其溃决消亡的时间约为1.4 ka BP,溃决洪峰流量约为55 858 m³/s,该滑坡堰塞湖持续稳定了约400年的时间。     

Proglacial damlakes in eastern Transbaikalia: New insight into the Pleistocene paleogeography

Paleogeographic reconstructions for the Samarovo, Taz, Murukta, and Sartan glaciations reveal the formation conditions of proglacial lakes dammed by ice in intermontane depressions and valleys of large rivers in eastern Transbaikalia. Middle-Late Pleistocene climate change is reconstructed using spore-pollen spectra from Pleistocene sediments in northern Transbaikalia. The age and lifetime of proglacial lakes are constrained by radiocarbon, thermoluminescence, and varve chronology of their bottom sediments in the periglacial zone. The lake levels remain recorded in sediments produced by deposition and erosion along the former lake shores, as well as in morphology and lithology variations of terminal moraines. A large proglacial lake, with a maximum level of 1020 m, occupied vast areas in Transbaikalia and its surroundings during the Samarovo glaciation. After the glaciers degraded, the Amur River system expanded into the area of closed lake basins in the southeastern Baikal region, including North China and Mongolia. The obtained results have implications for the Middle-Late Pleistocene history of lake deposition.     

基于河湖地质过程的武汉市湖泊的成因划分

武汉市位于长江中游,长江与汉江在此交汇,城区河网纵横,湖泊众多,素有"江城"和"百湖之市"之称.湖泊对于武汉城市的可持续发展及宜居城市建设有着特别重要的意义.关于武汉市的湖泊前人曾开展了大量的研究,但对于湖泊的成因则研究较少.湖泊的成因不仅对武汉市近代地质环境演化具有重要意义,同时也是湖泊保护的基础科学问题.在地质地貌调查上,通过江湖古地理演变分析,结合历史文献记录等综合研究,认为武汉湖泊的形成与河流地质作用过程密切相关,据此将武汉市湖泊的成因类型划分为:河道遗迹湖（又分河道废弃湖和河道洲滩夹湖）、河堤溃口湖、河间洼地湖和沟谷壅塞湖四种类型.分析了各类湖泊的特征、地貌分布及形成过程.其中沟谷壅塞湖是现存湖泊的主要类型,其形成演化与区域气候变化背景下的河海相互作用密切相关,分别经历了湖盆形成期（20~14 ka）、湖泊形成期（14~7 ka）和湖泊发展期（7 ka以来）3个阶段.此外,武汉的城市与湖泊经历了由"湖中城"到"城中湖"的发展历程,围湖造地是武汉市最重要人为改造自然工程,依湖泊类型的不同采取了不同的围湖发展方式,汉口地区以河间洼地湖为主,主要以"筑堤-排水-造地"填湖发展;武昌和汉阳地区以沟谷壅塞湖为主,采取的是"堵塞湖汊造地"的环湖发展方式.在未来的城市建设中,有计划地实施湖-湖连通和河-湖连通工程是十分必要的.      

2013年西藏嘉黎县“7.5”冰湖溃决洪水成因及潜在危害

冰湖溃决洪水（泥石流）是西藏自治区主要自然灾害之一. 2013年7月5日,西藏自治区嘉黎县忠玉乡发生“7.5”冰湖溃决洪水灾害事件,导致人员失踪,房屋被毁,桥梁、道路等基础设施遭到严重破坏,直接经济损失高达2.7亿元. 基于不同时间段地形图和遥感影像资料,利用地理信息技术,发现导致“7.5”洪灾的溃决冰湖为然则日阿错. 该冰湖溃决的直接诱因可能是雪崩和冰崩的共同作用,溃决前的强降水过程及气温的快速上升是其间接原因,而冰湖长期稳定的扩张导致水量聚集是其溃决并造成巨大灾害的基础. 然则日阿错溃决后形成2个冰湖,面积分别为0.25 km²和0.01 km²,再次发生溃决的概率极小. 这次溃决洪水和泥石流灾害事件阻塞了尼都藏布的罗琼沟及衣布沟,并形成2处面积分别为0.33 km²和0.13 km²堰塞湖,且存在溃决风险,在今后一段时间内应加强监测工作与排险工程实施.     

Stability analysis and morphometric characterization of palaeo-lakes of the Benjamin Matienzo basin, Las Cuevas River, Argentina

Natural dams are caused by the blockage of streams as a result of the sudden arrival of detritus material during a glacial surge advance or fast slope collapse threatening downstream populations. Nevertheless, origin, morphological characteristics and stability of dammed lakes are frequently ignored. Six impounded palaeo-lakes were geomorphologically studied in the Benjamin Matienzo gully (32°14′ S–70°02′ W), denominated, from north to south: Goyete, Negro, Casa de Piedra, Lagunita, Susanita and Matienzo. We determined the origin, morphometric parameters, stability index and rate of streamflow rupture for these dammed ancient lakes in order to shed light on the potential outburst flood hazard in this Andean mountain region. According to our findings, we concluded that palaeo-lakes would have had a short life as they turned out to be unstable, except for the Goyete Lake, matching with the lack of fine lacustrine sediments in all river blockages. We also estimated the maximum peak discharge of a probable outburst flow generated during a drastic collapse of these dams. Obtained values range between 22 and 151 m³/s being notably higher than the average annual streamflow of Las Cuevas River (6.6 m³/s), but similar to the instantaneous streamflow of this river (157 m³/s, 2-year recurrence time).     

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.     

Stable isotope variation in tooth enamel from Neogene hippopotamids: monitor of meso and global climate and rift dynamics on the Albertine Rift, Uganda

The Neogene was a period of long-term global cooling and increasing climatic variability. Variations in African-Asian monsoon intensity over the last 7 Ma have been deduced from patterns of eolian dust export into the Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea as well as from lake level records in the East African Rift System (EARS). However, lake systems not only depend on rainfall patterns, but also on the size and physiography of river catchment areas. This study is based on stable isotope proxy data (¹⁸O/¹⁶O, ¹³C/¹²C) from tooth enamel of hippopotamids (Mammalia) and aims in unravelling long-term climate and watershed dynamics that control the evolution of palaeolake systems in the western branch of the EARS (Lake Albert, Uganda) during the Late Neogene (7.5 Ma to recent). Having no dietary preferences with respect to wooded (C₃) versus grassland (C₄) vegetation, these territorial, water-dependant mammals are particularly useful for palaeoclimate analyses. As inhabitants of lakes and rivers, hippopotamid tooth enamel isotope data document mesoclimates of topographic depressions, such as the rift valleys and, therefore, changes in relative valley depth instead of exclusively global climate changes. Consequently, we ascribe a synchronous maximum in ¹⁸O/¹⁶O and ¹³C/¹²C composition of hippopotamid enamel centred around 1.5–2.5 Ma to maximum aridity and/or maximum hydrological isolation of the rift floor from rift-external river catchment areas in response to the combined effects of rift shoulder uplift and subsidence of the rift valley floor. Structural rearrangements by ~2.5 Ma within the northern segment of the Albertine Rift are well constrained by reversals in river flow, cannibalisation of catchments, biogeographic turnover and uplift of the Rwenzori horst. However, a growing rain shadow is not obvious in ¹⁸O/¹⁶O signatures of the hippopotamid teeth of the Albertine Rift. According to our interpretation, this is the result of the overriding effect of evaporation on ¹⁸O/¹⁶O responding to aridification of the basin floor by a valley air circulation system through relative deepening of the valley. On the other hand, a synchronous arid pulse is not so clearly recorded in palaeosol data and mammalian fauna of the eastern branch of the EARS. This discrepancy indicates that rift mesoclimates may represent an underestimated aspect in previous palaeoclimate reconstructions from rift valley data and represent a clear limitation to attempts at global climate reconstructions. The results of this study also suggest that using ¹⁸O/¹⁶O data as a proxy to rain shadow evolution must take into account relative basin subsidence to properly document mountain range uplift.     

金沙江上游特米古滑坡堰塞湖形成与溃决时间讨论

开展古滑坡堰塞湖形成演化过程研究,可以揭示古灾害地质环境效应,重建区域构造历史活动序列和古气候演变特征。特米古滑坡发育于金沙江上游巴塘段,滑坡堆积地貌和堰塞湖相沉积物保存较好,是研究区内古地质环境的良好载体。在遥感解译、无人机测绘、现场调查和地质测年的基础上,结合前人研究成果,分析探讨了特米古滑坡发育特征、堰塞湖形成时间与溃决演化过程。结果表明,特米古滑坡是特大型岩质历史堵江滑坡,滑坡堰塞湖实际形成时间应该远早于2.15 ka BP,历史上曾发生过多次溃决,完全溃决时间大约为1.08 ka BP,堰塞湖稳定保存时间大于1.07 ka。金沙江巴塘段大型堵江滑坡群并非由单次地质事件形成,而是由金沙江断裂带多次强烈地震诱发。     

金沙江上游特米古滑坡堰塞湖形成与溃决时间讨论

开展古滑坡堰塞湖形成演化过程研究,可以揭示古灾害地质环境效应,重建区域构造历史活动序列和古气候演变特征.特米古滑坡发育于金沙江上游巴塘段,滑坡堆积地貌和堰塞湖相沉积物保存较好,是研究区内古地质环境的良好载体.在遥感解译、无人机测绘、现场调查和地质测年的基础上,结合前人研究成果,分析探讨了特米古滑坡发育特征、堰塞湖形成时...     

Middle‐Late Pleistocene Glacial Lakes in the Grand Canyon of the Tsangpo River,Tibet

Many moraines formed between Daduka and Chibai in the Tsangpo River valley since Middle Pleistocene. A prominent set of lacustrine and alluvial terraces on the valley margin along both the Tsangpo and Nyang Rivers formed during Quaternary glacial epoch demonstrate lakes were created by damming of the river. Research was conducted on the geological environment, contained sediments, spatial distribution, timing, and formation and destruction of these paleolakes. The lacustrine sediments 14C (10537±268 aBP at Linzhi Brick and Tile Factory, 22510±580 aBP and 13925±204 aBP at Bengga, 21096±1466 aBP at Yusong) and a series of ESR (electron spin resonance) ages at Linzhi town and previous data by other experts, paleolakes persisted for 691~505 kaBP middle Pleistocene ice age, 75–40 kaBP the early stage of last glacier, 27–8 kaBP Last Glacier Maximum (LGM), existence time of lakes gradually shorten represents glacial scale and dam moraine supply potential gradually cut down, paleolakes and dam scale also gradually diminished. This article calculated the average lacustrine sedimentary rate of Gega paleolake in LGM was 12.5 mm/a, demonstrates Mount Namjagbarwa uplifted strongly at the same time, the sedimentary rate of Gega paleolake is more larger than that of enclosed lakes of plateau inland shows the climatic variation of Mount Namjagbarwa is more larger and plateau margin uplifted more quicker than plateau inland. This article analyzed formation and decay cause about the Zelunglung glacier on the west flank of Mount Namjagbarwa got into the Tsangpo River valley and blocked it for tectonic and climatic factors. There is a site of blocking the valley from Gega to Chibai. This article according to moraines and lacustrine sediments yielded paleolakes scale: the lowest lake base altitude 2850 m, the highest lake surface altitude 3585 m, 3240 m and 3180 m, area 2885 km2, 820 km2 and 810 km2, lake maximum depth of 735 m, 390 m and 330 m. We disclose the reason that previous experts discovered there were different age moraines dividing line of altitude 3180 m at the entrance of the Tsangpo Grand Canyon is dammed lake erosive decay under altitude 3180 m moraines in the last glacier era covering moraines in the early ice age of late Pleistocene, top 3180 m in the last glacier moraine remained because ancient dammed lakes didn’t erode it under 3180 m moraines in the early ice age of late Pleistocene exposed. The reason of the top elevation 3585 m moraines in the middle Pleistocene ice age likes that of altitude 3180 m. There were three times dammed lakes by glacier blocking the Tsangpo River during Quaternary glacial period. During other glacial and interglacial period the Zelunglung glacier often extended the valley but moraine supplemental speed of the dam was smaller than that of fluvial erosion and moraine movement, dam quickly disappeared and didn’t form stable lake.     

Late Pleistocene sedimentary history of multiple glacially dammed lake episodes along the Yarlung-Tsangpo river,southeast Tibet

We present a reconstructed lithologic column compiled from a series of lacustrine outcrops along a tributary of the Nyang River, a major tributary of the Yarlung-Tsangpo in southeast Tibet. The deposits were preserved between terraces at altitudes of 2950–3100 m asl. The stratigraphic record features at least two sets of coarsening-upward sequences depicting episodic aggradation and progradation of a glacially dammed lake related delta. Recognized facies changes illustrate the evolution cycles of depositional environments from pro-delta, delta front, to delta plain. Radiocarbon and optically stimulated luminescence dates reveal an aging-downward trend in stratigraphic order and provide an approximate timeline for the formation of glacially dammed lakes in late Pleistocene. This result reflects that the Zelunglung Glacier had progressively advanced to block the Yarlung-Tsangpo river and the dam materials had stepwise stacked up to an altitude of 3095 m asl during Marine Oxygen Isotope Stages 4 to 2.     

Formation process of a large paleolandslide-dammed lake at Xuelongnang in the upper Jinsha River,SE Tibetan Plateau: constraints from OSL and <Superscript>14</Superscript>C dating

A large number of the landslide dams located on the major rivers at the southeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau have been previously identified through remote sensing analysis and field investigations. The Xuelongnang paleolake was one of the lakes formed by these landslide dams in the upper Jinsha River, where the association of a relict landslide dam, lacustrine sediment, and outburst sediment is well preserved. This preservation provides an opportunity to better understand the formation, evolution, and longevity of a large landslide-dammed lake in the upper Jinsha River. It was inferred that the Xuelongnang dammed lake may have been formed by an earthquake-induced paleoavalanche. The surface area of the lake at its peak was estimated at 7.0?×?10⁶ m², and the corresponding volume was approximately 3.1?×?10⁸ m³. Two outburst flood events were determined to have occurred during the life span of the lake. Based on the 18 ages obtained from optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and carbon-14 (¹⁴C) dating combined with stratigraphic sequences observed in the field, the paleolandslide-dammed lake was formed at approximately 2.1 ka and subsequently breached locally. The dammed lake was sustained for a period of some 900 years based on the chronological constraining. This study confirms that a major landslide-dammed lake can be sustained for at least hundreds of years and breached by several dam breaks in multiple periods, which contributed to the preservation of the knickpoints at millennial scale along the major rivers in the study area.     

青藏高原东北缘黄河上游滑坡与堰塞湖研究进展

随着黄河流域生态保护与高质量发展上升为国家战略,滑坡灾害防治成为迫切需要攻克的基础性问题。另外,黄河上游地区因地形高差大、古地震及强降雨事件频繁,诱发的滑坡及滑坡堰塞湖数量多、分布广、危害重,是近年来滑坡发育和演化机制以及滑坡堰塞湖溃决效应研究的热点。本文在综合整理该地区已有研究工作的基础上,结合笔者研究团队近20年来所获得的滑坡调查评价、测试分析和防灾减灾研究成果,系统归纳了黄河上游地区滑坡调查与风险评价、滑坡时空展布规律及主控因素研究、典型滑坡堰塞湖的续存时长及溃决危害、古滑坡堆积体开发利用及防灾减灾等方面的研究进展和成果,提出了未来在该地区研究古滑坡、堰塞湖沉积与河流阶地以及堰塞湖溃决效应等应关注的4个科学问题。研究结果对于揭示黄河上游地质历史时期滑坡发育和堰塞湖形成的主控因素,探讨滑坡发育的动力机制对地震和降雨的响应过程,拓展第四纪地质学在古滑坡形成演变方面的应用研究等具有重要参考价值。     

Ice‐distal landscape and sediment signatures evidencing damming and drainage of large pro‐glacial lakes,northwest Russia

Lyså, A., Jensen, M. A., Larsen, E., Fredin, O. & Demidov, I. N.^* 2010: Ice‐distal landscape and sediment signatures evidencing damming and drainage of large pro‐glacial lakes, northwest Russia. Boreas, Vol. 40, pp. 481–497. 10.1111/j.1502‐3885.2010.00197.x. ISSN 0300‐9483. Sediments from river sections and the morphology of the upper reaches of Severnaya Dvina and Vychegda in northwest Russia show evidence of the existence of large ice‐dammed lakes in the area twice during the Weichselian. During the Late Weichselian, three separate ice‐dammed lakes (LGM lake(s)) existed, the largest one at about 135 m a.s.l. having a volume of about 1510 km³. Stepwise and rapid lake drainage is suggested to have taken place within less than 1000 years. The locations of various passpoints controlled the drainage, and when the lake was at its maximum level water spilled southeastwards into the Volga basin. Later, but before the lake water finally drained into the White Sea, water was routed northeastwards into the southeastern part of the Barents Sea. The oldest lake, the White Sea lake, existed around 67–57 ka ago, slightly in conflict with earlier palaeogeographic reconstructions regarding the chronology. The extent of the lake was constrained by, in addition to the Barents Sea ice‐sheet margin in the north, thresholds in the drainage basin. Later, one threshold was eroded and lowered during the LGM lake drainage. Given a lake level of about 115 m a.s.l., a lake area of about 2.5 × 10⁴ km³ and a water volume of about 4800 km³, the lake drainage northwards and into the ocean probably impacted the ocean circulation.     

Modern sediments and sedimentary processes in Lake Rudolf (Lake Turkana) eastern Rift Valley, Kenya

Tertiary sediments around Lake Rudolf (now Lake Turkana) in the East African Rift Valley have yielded abundant palaeontological and palaeoanthropological remains. The present study provides a basis for interpreting the ancient lake environment and furthering our knowledge of rift valley lacustrine deposits. Bottom sediments in Lake Rudolf are fine-grained (average 71% clay) well laminated and have montmorillonite, kaolinite and illite as the principal clay minerals. The sediments are relatively poor in silica (40–45%) but rich in Fe₂O₃ (10%). Both mineral proportions and chemical composition change systematically over the area of the lake and delineate four sedimentological provinces: (1) iron-rich, silty kaolinitic muds (Omo Delta); (2) iron-rich, fine-grained montmorillonite muds (North Basin); (3) silty montmorillonite muds rich in Na₂O and K₂O (Central Delta); and (4) argillaceous calcite silts (South Basin). Omo Delta and North Basin sediments are derived from the volcanics of the Ethiopian plateau; the source of Central Delta sediments is the Precambrian metamorphic terrain of the rift valley margin; the South Basin has a restricted detrital input. The water in the lake is alkaline (pH 9.2) and moderately saline (TDS = 2500 p.p.m.). Comparisons with influent water from the Omo River indicate a 200-fold concentration for the lake water. Models based on equilibrium between sediments and water column account for most of the non-conservative chemical components in the lake water. Sedimentation rates are high (about 1 m per 1000 years) and the dominance of detrital sediments makes Lake Rudolf unusual in comparison with other closed-basin lakes in the African Rift Valley although some similarities with ancient rift valley deposits are suggested.