Geochemistry and provenance of stream sediments of the Ganga River and its major tributaries in the Himalayan region,India

Major, trace and REE compositions of sediments from the upper Ganga River and its tributaries in the Himalaya have been examined to study the weathering in the Himalayan catchment region and to determine the dominant source rocks to the sediments in the Plains. The Ganga River rises in the Higher Himalaya from the Higher Himalayan Crystalline Series (HHCS) bedrocks and traverses over the Lesser Himalayan Series (LHS) and the Himalayan foreland basin (Siwaliks) rocks before entering into the Gangetic Plains. The major element compositions of sediments, reflected in their low CIA values (45.0–54.7), indicate that silicate weathering has not been an important process in the Himalayan catchment region of the Ganga River. Along the entire traverse, from the HHCS through LHS and the Siwaliks, the sediments from the tributaries and the mainstream Ganga River show higher Na₂O, K₂O, CaO and silica. This, and the higher ratios of La/Sc, Th/Sc and lower ratios of Co/Th, suggest that the source rocks are felsic. The fractionated REE patterns and the significant negative Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu? = 0.27–0.53) indicate highly differentiated source. Moreover, the comparison of the sediments with different source rock lithologies from the HHCS and the LHS for their major elements clearly suggests that the HHCS rocks were the dominant source. Further, comparison of their UCC (upper continental crust) normalized REE patterns suggests that, among the various HHCS rocks, the metasediments (para-gneiss and schist) and Cambro-Ordovician granites have formed the major source rocks. The Bhagirathi and Alaknanda River sediments are dominantly derived from metasediments and those in the Mandakini River from Cambro-Ordovician granites. The resulting composition of the sediments of the Ganga River is due to the mixing of sediments supplied by these tributaries after their confluence at Devprayag. No further change in major, trace and rare earth element compositions of the sediments of the Ganga River after Devprayag up to its exit point to the Plains at Haridwar, suggests little contribution of the Lesser Himalayan and Siwalik rocks to the Ganga River sediments.     

Reconciling the elemental and Sr isotope composition of Himalayan weathering fluxes: insights from the carbonate geochemistry of stream waters

Determining the relative proportions of silicate vs. carbonate weathering in the Himalaya is important for understanding atmospheric CO₂ consumption rates and the temporal evolution of seawater Sr. However, recent studies have shown that major element mass-balance equations attribute less CO₂ consumption to silicate weathering than methods utilizing Ca/Sr and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr mixing equations. To investigate this problem, we compiled literature data providing elemental and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr analyses for stream waters and bedrock from tributary watersheds throughout the Himalaya Mountains. In addition, carbonate system parameters (P_CO2, mineral saturation states) were evaluated for a selected suite of stream waters. The apparent discrepancy between the dominant weathering source of dissolved major elements vs. Sr can be reconciled in terms of carbonate mineral equilibria. Himalayan streams are predominantly Ca²⁺-Mg²⁺-HCO₃⁻ waters derived from calcite and dolomite dissolution, and mass-balance calculations demonstrate that carbonate weathering contributes ∼87% and ∼76% of the dissolved Ca²⁺ and Sr²⁺, respectively. However, calculated Ca/Sr ratios for the carbonate weathering flux are much lower than values observed in carbonate bedrock, suggesting that these divalent cations do not behave conservatively during stream mixing over large temperature and P_CO2 gradients in the Himalaya.The state of calcite and dolomite saturation was evaluated across these gradients, and the data show that upon descending through the Himalaya, ∼50% of the streams evaluated become highly supersaturated with respect to calcite as waters warm and degas CO₂. Stream water Ca/Mg and Ca/Sr ratios decrease as the degree of supersaturation with respect to calcite increases, and Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, and HCO₃⁻ mass balances support interpretations of preferential Ca²⁺ removal by calcite precipitation. On the basis of patterns of saturation state and P_CO2 changes, calcite precipitation was estimated to remove up to ∼70% of the Ca²⁺ originally derived from carbonate weathering. Accounting for the nonconservative behavior of Ca²⁺ during riverine transport brings the Ca/Sr and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr composition of the carbonate weathering flux into agreement with the composition of carbonate bedrock, thereby permitting consistency between elemental and Sr isotope approaches to partitioning stream water solute sources. These results resolve the dissolved Sr²⁺ budget and suggest that the conventional application of two-component Ca/Sr and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr mixing equations has overestimated silicate-derived Sr²⁺ and HCO₃⁻ fluxes from the Himalaya. In addition, these findings demonstrate that integrating stream water carbonate mineral equilibria, divalent cation compositional trends, and Sr isotope inventories provides a powerful approach for examining weathering fluxes.     

Sr isotopic signature of the Ganga Alluvial Plain and its implication to Sr flux of the Ganga River System

The influx of Sr responsible for increase in marine Sr has been attributed to rise of Himalaya and weathering of the Himalayan rocks. The rivers draining Himalaya to the ocean by the northern part of the Indian sub-continent comprising the Ganga Alluvial Plain (GAP) along with Central parts of the Himalaya and the northern part of the Indian Craton are held responsible for the transformation of Sr isotopic signature. The GAP is basically formed by the Himalayan-derived sediments and serves as transient zone between the source (Himalaya) and the sink (Bay of Bengal). The Gomati River, an important alluvial tributary of the Ganga River, draining nearly 30,500 km² area of GAP is the only river which is originating from the GAP. The river recycles the Himalayan-derived sediments and transport its weathering products into the Ganga River and finally to Bay of Bengal. 11 water samples were collected from the Gomati River and its intrabasinal lakes for measurement of Sr isotopic composition. Sr concentration of Gomati River water is about 335 μg/l, which is about five times higher than the world’s average of river water (70 μg/l) and nearly three times higher than the Ganga River water in the Himalaya (130 μg/l) The Sr isotopic ratios reported are also higher than global average runoff (0.7119) and to modern seawater (0.7092) values. Strong geochemical sediment–water interaction appearing on surface is responsible for the dissolved Sr isotopic ratios in the River water. Higher Sr isotopic rations found during post-monsoon than in pre-monsoon season indicate the importance of fluxes due to monsoonal erosion of the GAP into the Gomati River. Monsoon precipitation and its interaction with alluvium appear to be major vehicle for the addition of dissolved Sr load into the alluvial plain rivers. This study establishes that elevated ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios of the Gomati River are due to input of chemical weathering of alluvial material present in the Ganga Alluvial Plain.     

Global patterns of dissolved inorganic and particulate nitrogen inputs to coastal systems: Recent conditions and future projections

We examine the global distribution of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and particulate nitrogen (PN) export to coastal systems and the effect of human activities and natural processes on that export. The analysis is based on DIN and PN models that were combined with spatially explicit global databases. The model results indicate the widely uneven geographic distribution of human activities and rates of nitrogen input to coastal systems at the watershed, latitudinal, and regional-continental scales. Future projections in a business-as-usual scenario indicate that DIN export rates increase from approximately 21 Tg N yr⁻¹ in 1990 to 47 Tg N yr⁻¹ by 2050. Increased DIN inputs to coastal systems in most world regions are predicted by 2050. The largest increases are predicted for Southern and Eastern Asia, associated with predicted large increases in population, increased fertilizer use to grow food to meet the dietary demands of that population, and increased industrialization. Results of an alternative scenario for North America and Europe in 2050 indicate that reductions in the human consumption of animal protein could reduce fertilizer use and result in substantial decreases in DIN export rates by rivers. In another scenario for 2050, future air pollution control in Europe that would reduce atmospheric deposition of nitrogen oxides in watersheds is predicted to decrease DIN export by rivers, particularly from Baltic and North Atlantic watersheds. Results of a newly developed global PN river export model indicate that total global PN and DIN export by rivers in 1990 are similar, even though the global distribution of the two differ considerably.     

Temporal variability in terrestrially-derived sources of particulate organic carbon in the lower Mississippi River and its upper tributaries

In this study, we examined the temporal changes of terrestrially-derived particulate organic carbon (POC) in the lower Mississippi River (MR) and in a very limited account, the upper tributaries (Upper MR, Ohio River, and Missouri River). We used for the first time a combination of lignin-phenols, bulk stable carbon isotopes, and compound-specific isotope analyses (CSIA) to examine POC in the lower MR and upper tributaries.A lack of correlation between POC and lignin phenol abundances (Λ₈) was likely due to dilution effects from autochthonous production in the river, which has been shown to be considerably higher than previously expected. The range of δ¹³C values for p-hydroxycinnamic and ferulic acids in POC in the lower river do support that POM in the lower river does have a significant component of C₄ in addition to C₃ source materials. A strong correlation between δ¹³C values of p-hydroxycinnamic, ferulic, and vanillyl phenols suggests a consistent input of C₃ and C₄ carbon to POC lignin while a lack of correlation between these same phenols and POC bulk δ¹³C further indicates the considerable role of autochthonous carbon in the lower MR POC budget. Our estimates indicate an annual flux of POC of 9.3 × 10⁸ kg y⁻¹ to the Gulf of Mexico. Total lignin fluxes, based on Λ₈ values of POC, were estimated to be 1.2 × 10⁵ kg y⁻¹. If we include the total dissolved organic carbon (DOC) flux (3.1 × 10⁹ kg y⁻¹) reported by [Bianchi T. S., Filley T., Dria K. and Hatcher, P. (2004) Temporal variability in sources of dissolved organic carbon in the lower Mississippi River. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta68, 959-967.], we get a total organic carbon flux of 4.0 × 10⁹ kg y⁻¹. This represents 0.82% of the annual total organic carbon supplied to the oceans by rivers (4.9 × 10¹¹ kg).     

Temporal variation and fluxes of dissolved and particulate organic carbon in the Apure,Caura and Orinoco rivers,Venezuela

The concentrations of total suspended sediments (TSS), dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and particulate organic carbon (POC) were measured in water samples taken monthly in the Apure, Caura and Orinoco rivers during a hydrological cycle (between Sept. 2007 and Aug. 2008). The DOC concentration values ranged between 1.5 and 6.8 mgC l⁻¹ in the Apure River; 2.07 and 4.9 mgC l⁻¹ in the Caura River and 1.66 and 5.35 mgC l⁻¹ in the Orinoco River. The mean concentration of DOC was 3.9 mgC l⁻¹ in the Apure River, 3.24 mgC l⁻¹ in the Caura River and 2.92 mgC l⁻¹ in the Orinoco River at Puerto Ordaz. The three rivers showed a similar temporal pattern in the concentrations of DOC, with higher DOC values during the increasing branch of the hydrograph due to wash-out processes of the organic material stored in soils. The mean concentration values of POC were 1.33 mgC l⁻¹; 0.77 mgC l⁻¹ and 0.91 mgC l⁻¹ in the Apure, Caura and Orinoco rivers, respectively. The inverse relationship found between the percentage in weight of the POC and the concentrations of TSS in the three rivers fits a logarithmic model, as it has been previously reported for other worldwide rivers. The POC concentrations in the Orinoco River showed a positive relationship with the TSS, suggesting that the POC in the Orinoco is the result of terrestrially organic matter. Although the fluxes of organic carbon (OC) in the three studied rivers are dependent on the values of water discharge, the fluxes of DOC during the increasing branch of the hydrograph are higher than those found during the decreasing stage, due to the yield of organic material accumulated in soils during the preceding dry season. The mean annual flux of total organic carbon (TOC) of the Orinoco River at Puerto Ordaz was about 4.27 × 10⁶ TonC yr⁻¹. Of this, 3.28 × 10⁶ TonC yr⁻¹ (77%) represents the flux of DOC and about 0.99 TonC yr⁻¹ (23%) represents the flux of POC. The mean annual input of TOC from the Apure River to the Orinoco River was about 4.92 × 10⁵ TonC yr⁻¹ (11.5%), while the contribution of TOC from the Caura River to the Orinoco River was estimated at 3.05 × 10⁵ TonC yr⁻¹ (7.1%).The values of annual transport of TOC calculated for the Apure, Caura and Orinoco rivers were lower than those reported twenty years ago. This could be related to interannual variations of precipitation in the Orinoco Basin, due to runoff variations can have a strong effect on the fluxes of OC from land to rivers.     

黄河口有机碳的时空输运特征及其影响因素分析

通过2004年4月,2004年9月,2005年9月,2006年4月4个航次,结合2003年8月对河道感潮带的连续同步观测,对低流量下黄河口有机碳的输运特征进行了考察。结果发现:黄河输入至河口的悬浮物中颗粒有机碳(POC)含量约为0.51%,主要以陆源输入为主,几乎不受季节变化影响,由于大量POC含量低的陆源泥沙的稀释作用,浮游植物对总颗粒有机碳的贡献只有在悬浮物含量(TSS)<200mg/L时才能显现出来;黄河口TSS超过455mg/L时,有机碳入海以颗粒有机碳为主;反之,以溶解有机碳为主。黄河口悬浮物在低盐度区沉降作用前后的中值粒径降低,Φ>16μm的悬浮物的沉降作用比Φ<16μm的悬浮物更为剧烈,POC含量随悬浮物粒径的降低而升高,黄河携带的颗粒有机碳80%以上集中在Φ<16μm的TSS中;低流量下,黄河口最大混浊带对POC的过滤效率为65%,混浊带对POC的过滤效应能造成黄河口POC的有效通量被高估;由于受黄河口沉积物向水体解析DOC的影响,在盐度小于10时,DOC几乎不受海水稀释作用的影响,但在盐度大于10的区域DOC与盐度表现出良好的负相关关系,黄河口枯、丰水期淡水端溶解有机碳的有效浓度分别高于实测最高值20%和10%左右,从而造成黄河口DOC有效通量被低估。     

The devastating Muzaffarabad earthquake of 8 October 2005: New insights into Himalayan seismicity and tectonics

The recent earthquake of 8 October 2005 in the Muzaffarabad region in western Himalaya destroyed several parts of Pakistan and the north Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. The earthquake of magnitude 7.6 claimed more than 80,000 lives, clearly exposing the poor standards of building construction — a major challenge facing the highly populated, earthquake prone, third world nations today. In this paper, we examine variations in the stress field, seismicity patterns, seismic source character, tectonic setting, plate motion velocities, GPS results, and the geodynamic factors relating to the geometry of the underlying subsurface structure and its role in generation of very large earthquakes. Focal mechanism solutions of the Muzaffarabad earthquake and its aftershocks are found to have steep dip angles comparable to the Indian intra-plate shield earthquakes rather than the typical Himalayan earthquakes that are characterized by shallow angle northward dips. A low p-value of 0.9 is obtained for this earthquake from the decay pattern of 110 aftershocks, which is comparable to that of the 1993 Latur earthquake in the Indian shield — the deadliest Stable Continental Region (SCR) earthquake till date. Inversion of focal mechanisms of the Harvard CMT catalogue indicates distinct stress patterns in the Muzaffarabad region, seemingly governed by an overturned Himalayan thrust belt configuration that envelops this region, adjoined by the Pamir and Hindukush regions. Recent developments in application of seismological tools like the receiver function technique have enabled accurate mapping of the dipping trends of the Moho and Lithosphere–Asthenosphere Boundary (LAB) of Indian lithosphere beneath southern Tibet. These have significantly improved our understanding of the collision process, the mechanism of Himalayan orogeny and uplift of the Tibetan plateau, besides providing vital constraints on the seismic hazard threat posed by the Himalaya. New ideas have also emerged through GPS, macroseismic investigations, paleoseismology and numerical modeling approaches. While many researchers suggest that the Himalayan front is already overdue for several 8.0 magnitude earthquakes, some opine that most of the front may not really be capable of sustaining the stress accumulation required for generation of great earthquakes. We propose that the occurrence of great earthquakes like those of 1897 in Shillong and 1950 in Assam have a strong correlation with their proximity to multiple plate junctions conducive for enormous stress build up, like the eastern Himalayan syntaxis comprising the junction of the India, Eurasia plates, and the Burma, Sunda micro-plates.     

Dissolved and particulate zinc and nickel in the Yangtze River (China): Distribution,sources and fluxes

Dissolved and particulate Zn and Ni concentrations were determined at 76 locations along the Yangtze River basin from the headwaters to the estuary during flood and dry seasons. Spatial and temporal variations of Zn and Ni were investigated and six major source zones were identified. The Three Gorges Dam (TGD) blocked most of the suspended loads and extremely low concentration of Zn and Ni were observed downstream of the dam. Dissolved (ranging from 0.062 to 8.0 μg L⁻¹) and particulate (ranging from 12 to 110 mg kg⁻¹) Ni showed similar levels of concentrations during flood and dry seasons, whereas dissolved (ranging from 0.43 to 49 μg L⁻¹) and particulate (ranging from 54 to 1100 mg kg⁻¹) Zn were slightly and much lower in the flood season than dry season, respectively. This was attributed to the increased water discharge during the flood season causing a dilution effect and sediment resuspension. In the flood season, average concentrations of Zn and Ni were higher in the main channel than in tributaries, due to soil erosion and mining activities providing the dominant inputs. The situation was opposite in the dry season, attributed to the contribution of municipal sewage, industrial activities, and waste disposal. During the flood season, dissolved Zn and Ni concentrations were negatively correlated with pH. Water and suspended particulate matter (SPM) from the upper reaches, middle reaches, and lower reaches of the Yangtze River were characterized by their Zn and Ni concentrations. The Panzhihua, Nanling and Tongling mining areas were considered as the most important source zones of particulate Zn and Ni. The Chongqing region, Wuhan region and the Yangtze River Delta provided most of the dissolved Zn and Ni inputs into the river. Annual net flux of Zn (10–72 × 10⁵ kg a⁻¹) and Ni (5.0–19 × 10⁵ kg a⁻¹) in each source zone were estimated according to their respective influent and effluent fluxes. Contributions of the source zones to Zn and Ni transport decreased from the upper reaches to the lower reaches.     

The late Wisconsinan Savanna Terrace in tributaries to the upper Mississippi River

The Savanna Terrace, composed of alternating red and gray clayey sediments of late Wisconsinan age, can be found in five states along the upper Mississippi valley from Pepin County, Wisconsin, to Jackson County, Illinois. The terrace is the highest glaciofluvial-lacustrine deposit without a loess cover in the upper Mississippi valley. Chemical, physical, and mineralogical data show that two different sources provided sediment. The red clay is believed to have come from Lake Superior sources, while the gray clay is believed to have come from sources farther west. Large-scale flood events from glacial Lakes Agassiz, Grantsburg, and Superior were probably the main contributors of the sediments. The red clay in the terrace is similar in composition to red glaciolacustrine sediment found in eastern and northern Wisconsin. It also is mineralogically similar to the Hinckley Sandstone and the Fond du Lac Formation, which occur under and around Lake Superior. Radiocarbon dates obtained from the lower Illinois valley indicate that the terrace sediments were deposited sometime between about 13,100 and 9500 yr ago. Soils developed on the terrace are variable in their physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties, which reflect the composition of the clayey sediments.     

近50年来降水变化和人类活动对黄河入海径流通量的影响

以黄河流域的降水、实测径流量、天然径流量、净引水量以及上中游流域的水土保持措施面积等资料为基础,运用经验统计分析法,研究了近50年来黄河入海径流通量的变化及其与降水和人类活动的关系。结果表明,不同的径流来源区降水的变化对入海径流通量的影响是不同的。引水所形成的侧支循环强度的急剧增大,使入海径流通量大幅度下降。上中游大规模水土保持生效后,这一地区的天然年径流有所减少,也导致入海径流通量的减少,入海径流通量与历年梯田、造林、种草面积之间具有一定的负相关。以入海径流通量作为因变量,以净引水量、流域年降水量和上中游梯田、林草面积作为自变量,建立了多元回归方程。     

Predicting riverine dissolved silica fluxes to coastal zones from a hyperactive region and analysis of their first-order controls

Silicate weathering and resulting transport of dissolved matter influence the global carbon cycle in two ways. First by the uptake of atmospheric/soil CO₂ and second by providing the oceanic ecosystems via the fluvial systems with the nutrient dissolved silica (DSi). Previous work suggests that regions dominated by volcanics are hyperactive or even “hot spots” concerning DSi-mobilization. Here, we present a new approach for predicting DSi-fluxes to coastal zones, emphasizing “first-order” controlling factors (lithology, runoff, relief, land cover and temperature). This approach is applied to the Japanese Archipelago, a region characterized by a high percentage of volcanics (29.1% of surface area). The presented DSi-flux model is based on data of 516 catchments, covering approximately 56.7% of the area of the Japanese Archipelago. The spatial distribution of lithology—one of the most important first order controls—is taken from a new high resolution map of Japan. Results show that the Japanese Archipelago is a hyperactive region with a DSi-yield 6.6 times higher than the world average of 3.3 t SiO₂ km⁻² a⁻¹, but with large regional variations. Approximately 10% of its area exceeds 10 times the world average DSi-yield. Slope constitutes another important controlling factor on DSi-fluxes besides lithology and runoff, and can exceed the influence of runoff on DSi-yields. Even though the monitored area on the Japanese Archipelago stretches from about 31° to 46°N, temperature is not identified as a significant first-order model variable. This may be due to the fact that slope, runoff and lithology are correlated with temperature due to regional settings of the Archipelago, and temperature information is substituted to a certain extent by these factors. Land cover data also do not improve the prediction model. This may partly be attributed to misinterpreted land cover information from satellite images. Implications of results for Earth System and global carbon cycle modeling are discussed.     

Annual dissolved fluxes from Central Nepal rivers: budget of chemical erosion in the Himalayas

Annual dissolved element fluxes of Himalayan rivers from Central Nepal are calculated using published river discharge and a new set chemical data of rivers, including monsoon sampling. These are used to study the control on chemical erosion of carbonate and silicate over the whole basin. Chemical erosion of carbonate is mainly controlled by the river runoff but it can be limited by the availability of carbonate in limestone-free basin. Chemical erosion of silicate is well correlated to the runoff. However differences between High Himalayan and Lesser Himalayan basins suggest that physical erosion may also play an important control on silicate weathering. To cite this article: C. France-Lanord et al., C. R. Geoscience 335 (2003).     

Recent insights into analytical precision and modelling of DDA and NMM for practical problems

This paper discussed the analytical precision on equations of motion in some practical studies that use 2-D DDA, 2D-Coupled analysis of NMM & DDA, and 3D-DDA. We point out the main reason for numerical instability in DDA is loss of the effective digits when superposing the global stiffness matrix under the variable conditions of large and the small blocks. Categories of analyses are distributed in 2D-DDA static masonry structures such as the Great Pyramid and the Pont du Gard, 2D-DDA dynamic rock fall problems and the sensitivity of its analysis on the velocity ratio and the penalty, earthquake response analysis of rock slopes, 2D-NMM, 2D-coupled analysis of DDA and NMM and 3D-DDA rock fall problem. The selected examples on the Great Pyramid, Pont du Gard and Bayon Temple at Angkor Thom are located in Egypt, France and Cambodia respectively as UNESCO world heritages sites. The authors evaluated the applicability of the methods and the reliability of the results by comparing different methods and site observations from the practical problems.     

中国主要河流的颗粒有机碳来源及通量

河流系统是连接陆地和海洋的纽带,在全球碳循环中起着重要的作用。河流中的颗粒有机碳（POC）主要由来源于土壤和植被的生物有机碳和来源于岩石的化石有机碳组成,POC的侵蚀、搬运、氧化和埋藏对不同时间尺度的碳循环有着重要的意义。本研究统计了我国31条主要河流（包括台湾12条）的POC含量、碳同位素和悬浮物通量等数据,获得生物POC和化石POC的年通量,探讨了我国河流POC来源和通量的控制因素。结果表明,这些河流的POC的来源和通量表现出明显的差异：黄河和长江侵蚀大量的年老生物POC,而台湾河流主要为化石POC;我国河流POC来源与通量主要受控于物理侵蚀、气候、地质地貌和人类活动等因素的影响。这些河流的流域面积占我国国土面积的47%,近10年其生物POC和化石POC的总年通量分别为4.25±0.78Mt C/a和2.04±0.22Mt C/a,各占世界河流通量的2.7^+1.3/_-0.9%和4.7^+6.6/_-2.8%,表现出对全球海洋有机碳的一定贡献。过去几十年,我国河流输沙量显著减少,改变了河流有机碳氧化和水库埋藏过程及通量,其过程和通量的进一步监测和研究对理解有机碳侵蚀、输运、氧化和埋藏及其在全球碳循环中的作用至关重要。

     

长江上游干支流洪水遭遇分析

目前洪水遭遇研究仅限于简单的实测资料统计分析,尚缺系统有效的理论方法.基于多维Copula函数分别建立金沙江屏山站、岷江高场站、嘉陵江北碚站以及长江宜昌站的洪水发生时间和量级的联合分布.以此方法估计干支流洪水发生时间和量级的遭遇可能性及条件概率,并与实测资料的统计结果进行比较.结果表明,模型计算结果与实测相吻合,说明该...     

Hydrogeochemistry of the Winder River and adjoining tributaries, Balochistan, Pakistan

Quantitative estimation of ground and stream waters draining through sedimentary rocks of the Pab and Mor ranges (Jurassic-Cretaceous) and the Bela ophiolite has been made. The degree of correspondence among cations and anions has been estimated in order to evaluate their mutual relationships. The abundance of major ions is interpreted to be related to bedrocks and climatic conditions, which may contribute to the genetic affiliation. The log TDS and Na/Na Ca ratio reflected supremacy of weathering of rocks with some influence of evaporation. Ionic relationship is exhibited in the form of Stiff diagrams. Patterns of ionic composition revealed high NaCl, medium Ca(HCO3)2 and low MgSO4. Piper diagram has been used to classify the hydrofacies. The important hydrogeochemical parameters have been estimated for assessment of groundwater quality for domestic purposes in accordance to WHO. Irrigation water qualities have been evaluated in terms of EC, SAR, RSC, ESP and pH.     

River dissolved and solid loads in the Lesser Antilles: New insight into basalt weathering processes

We present here the first available estimations of chemical weathering and associated atmospheric CO₂ consumption rates as well as mechanical erosion rate for the Lesser Antilles. The chemical weathering (100–120 t/km²/year) and CO₂ consumption (1.1–1.4 × 10⁶ mol/km²/year) rates are calculated after subtraction of the atmospheric and hydrothermal inputs in the chemical composition of the river dissolved loads. These rates thus reflect only the low-temperature basalt weathering. Mechanical erosion rates (approx. 800–4000 t/km²/year) are estimated by a geochemical mass balance between the dissolved and solid loads and mean unaltered rock. The calculated chemical weathering rates and associated atmospheric CO₂ consumption rates are among the highest values worldwide but are still lower than those of other tropical volcanic islands and do not fit with the HCO₃⁻ concentration vs. 1/T correlation proposed by Dessert et al. (2001). The thick soils and explosive volcanism context of the Lesser Antilles are the two possible keys to this different weathering behaviour; the development of thick soils limits the chemical weathering and the presence of very porous pyroclastic flows allows an important water infiltration and thus subsurface weathering mechanisms, which are less effective for atmospheric CO₂ consumption.     

Benthic fluxes and porewater concentration profiles of dissolved organic carbon in sediments from the North Carolina continental slope

Numerous studies of marine environments show that dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations in sediments are typically tenfold higher than in the overlying water. Large concentration gradients near the sediment–water interface suggest that there may be a significant flux of organic carbon from sediments to the water column. Furthermore, accumulation of DOC in the porewater may influence the burial and preservation of organic matter by promoting geopolymerization and/or adsorption reactions. We measured DOC concentration profiles (for porewater collected by centrifugation and “sipping”) and benthic fluxes (with in situ and shipboard chambers) at two sites on the North Carolina continental slope to better understand the controls on porewater DOC concentrations and quantify sediment–water exchange rates. We also measured a suite of sediment properties (e.g., sediment accumulation and bioturbation rates, organic carbon content, and mineral surface area) that allow us to examine the relationship between porewater DOC concentrations and organic carbon preservation. Sediment depth-distributions of DOC from a downslope transect (300–1000 m water depth) follow a trend consistent with other porewater constituents (ΣCO₂ and SO₄²⁻) and a tracer of modern, fine-grained sediment (fallout Pu), suggesting that DOC levels are regulated by organic matter remineralization. However, remineralization rates appear to be relatively uniform across the sediment transect. A simple diagenetic model illustrates that variations in DOC profiles at this site may be due to differences in the depth of the active remineralization zone, which in turn is largely controlled by the intensity of bioturbation. Comparison of porewater DOC concentrations, organic carbon burial efficiency, and organic matter sorption suggest that DOC levels are not a major factor in promoting organic matter preservation or loading on grain surfaces. The DOC benthic fluxes are difficult to detect, but suggest that only 2% of the dissolved organic carbon escapes remineralization in the sediments by transport across the sediment-water interface.     

Weathering of the Ganga alluvial plain,northern India: implications from fluvial geochemistry of the Gomati River

In the northern part of the Indian sub-continent, the Ganga alluvial plain (GAP) feeds its weathering products to the Ganga–Brahmaputra River system, one of the world’s largest fluvial systems. The authors present a geochemical study of the GAP weathering products transported by the Gomati River (the Ganga River tributary) to understand weathering processes of an alluvial plain in a humid sub-tropical climate. A total of 28 sediment samples were collected during the monsoon season and were analysed by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry for 25 major and trace elements. Bulk chemistry of the channel, flood and suspended sediments mostly consists (>90%, >80% and >75%, respectively) of three elements; Al, Si and Fe. Major element concentrations normalised with respect to upper continental crust (UCC) show strong depletion of highly mobile elements (Na, Ca) and enrichment of immobile elements (Ti, Si). Silica enrichment in the sand fraction is probably caused by chemical weathering of feldspar. Mineral sorting during fluvial transportation acts as the single important factor that controls the geochemistry of these weathering products and also strongly influences major and trace element distribution in the individual sediment samples. Trace element (Ba, Cr, Cu, Nb, Ni, Pb, V and Zn) concentrations were strongly correlated with major element (Si, Al, Fe, Mn and K) concentrations indicating that the abundance of trace elements is controlled by the same processes that control the major element distribution in these sediments.The GAP weathering products were geochemically distinguished as arkose to litharenite in rock classification. Chemical mobility, normalised with respect to TiO₂ in UCC, indicates that Si, Na, Zr, Ba and Sr, mainly derived from feldspar, muscovite and biotite, are lost during weathering. Iron and Zn remained immobile during weathering and were strongly adsorbed by phyllosilicates and concentrated in fine-grained sediment fractions. The chemical index of alteration indicates that the GAP has experienced chemical weathering of incipient to moderate intensity. The GAP weathering products also demonstrated a progressive incomplete alteration in the alluvial sequence made-up of the Himalayan-derived sediments. A model has been proposed to better understand weathering processes and products of the GAP in temporary storage of ∼50 ka in a humid sub-tropical climate.