Monsoon control on trace metal fluxes in the deep Arabian Sea

Particulate fluxes of aluminium, iron, magnesium and titanium were measured using six time-series sediment traps deployed in the eastern, central and western Arabian Sea. Annual Al fluxes at shallow and deep trap depths were 0.47 and 0.46 g m^-2 in the western Arabian Sea, and 0.33 and 0.47 g m^-2 in the eastern Arabian Sea. There is a difference of about 0.9–1.8 g m^-2y^-1 in the lithogenic fluxes determined analytically (residue remaining after leaching out all biogenic particles) and estimated from the Al fluxes in the western Arabian Sea. This arises due to higher fluxes of Mg (as dolomite) in the western Arabian Sea (6–11 times higher than the eastern Arabian Sea). The estimated dolomite fluxes at the western Arabian Sea site range from 0.9 to 1.35gm^-2y^-1. Fe fluxes in the Arabian Sea were less than that of the reported atmospheric fluxes without any evidence for the presence of labile fraction/excess of Fe in the settling particles. More than 75% of Al, Fe, Ti and Mg fluxes occurred during the southwest (SW) monsoon in the western Arabian Sea. In the eastern Arabian Sea, peak Al, Fe, Mg and Ti fluxes were recorded during both the northeast (NE) and SW monsoons. During the SW monsoon, there exists a time lag of around one month between the increases in lithogenic and dolomite fluxes. Total lithogenic fluxes increase when the southern branch of dust bearing northwesterlies is dragged by the SW monsoon winds to the trap locations. However, the dolomite fluxes increase only when the northern branch of the northwesterlies (which carries a huge amount of dolomite accounting 60% of the total dust load) is dragged, from further north, by SW monsoon winds. The potential for the use of Mg/Fe ratio as a paleo-monsoonal proxy is examined.     

Holocene environmental change inferred from the loess–palaeosol sequences adjacent to the floodplain of the Yellow River, China

Chinese loess deposits are generally considered to be the product of dust storms and dust falls from the central Asia arid zones that were transported across China by the northwesterly continental monsoon. In contrast, the Zhengzhou Loess found southeast of the Loess Plateau, adjacent to the floodplain of the Yellow River, records a different eolian regime and dust source. The Zhengzhou Loess was investigated by field observations, measurements of magnetic susceptibility, particle-size distribution, loss-on-ignition, CaCO₃ and chemical contents. Both field observations and the laboratory results indicate that, during the last glacial, the Zhengzhou Loess was supplied by two different eolian regimes and dust sources, one was from the fresh flood deposits of the Yellow River driven by the northeast winds from the low-lying floodplain, and the other was from the dust storms and dust falls that traveled across the Loess Plateau driven by the northwesterly continental monsoon from the central Asian arid lands. The early Holocene, 11,500–8500 a BP, was a transition during the change in eolian regime and dust source because of the weakened northwesterly monsoon along with the global climatic amelioration. Following the retreat of the northwesterly monsoon from the onset of the mid-Holocene Climatic Optimum at 8500 a BP, dust supply from the drifting sand zone on the Yellow River floodplain became dominant because of the intensified strength of the northeast winds from the Bohai Sea. From 3100 a BP onwards, climatic aridity and extensive human disturbance have resulted in intensive eolian processes causing the incursion of the drifting sand into the Zhengzhou Loess zone. These results show that loess accumulation is more complex than traditionally assumed. The origin of loess deposits elsewhere outside the Loess Plateau may be related to dust sources derived from alluvial sediments of major river systems.     

Water and Organic Carbon Cycles in Monsoon-driven Humid Tropics of the Western Ghats Mountain Belt,India: Insights from Stable Isotope Approach

The Western Ghats form a major mountain belt, next to the Himalayas, in controlling the flux of water and carbon to the northern Indian Ocean. This study attempts to understand the water and carbon cycles in two humid tropical river basins with its streams originating at higher altitudes of the Western Ghats, India. Water and suspended particulate matter (SPM) were collected on a monthly scale during summer monsoon season (June-September) from Swarna and Nethravati rivers draining into the Arabian Sea. For the source apportionment, samples have been measured for stable isotopes of oxygen (δ¹⁸O) and hydrogen (δ²H) in water and stable isotopes of carbon (δ¹³C_POC) in particulate organic matter (POM) at spatial scale from tributaries and main channel of rivers, and runoff water from agricultural land (dominant paddy field) and forest in the downstream region. The association between δ¹⁸O and deuterium-excess in river water and rain water shows that water in these tropical basins depicts rainout effect of marine source moisture during the onset of summer monsoon. As the monsoon intensifies, the fresher rain water replenishes older water stored previously in sub surface soil layer leading to its flushing into the river during summer monsoon season. Stable carbon isotope ratio and elemental ratio of POM (δ¹³C_POC = -27.1 ± 0.4 ‰ and C/N = 8.1 ± 1.7) in two humid tropical river water during summer monsoon season is an admixture of suspended particulates from runoff water of forest (δ¹³C_POC = - 27.82 ± 0.4 ‰) and agricultural land (δ¹³C_POC = -26.29 ± 0.4 ‰). It is found that δ¹³C_POC shows minimal variability with SPM content and C/N ratio within the same organic carbon pool. The study emphasizes the need to consider the agricultural runoff contribution to the rivers while establishing the global elemental budget and observing the global climate change.     

The value ofC efor the Arabian Sea during summer monsoon

We estimate, from the moisture budget the bulk aerodynamic coefficient for latent heat flux (C _e) during the monsoon season over the central Arabian Sea. The average value ofC _eunder active monsoon conditions was found to be 2.25 × 10⁻³ which is nearly 60% higher than those previously used.     

Organic stable carbon isotopic composition reveals late Quaternary vegetation changes in the dune fields of northern China

Vegetation changes during the late Quaternary in the dune fields of northern China are not well understood. We investigated organic carbon stable isotopic composition of surface soils, related mainly to the ratio of C₃ and C₄ plants, across a range of arid to subhumid climates in this region. Isotopic composition is weakly related to both temperature and moisture (multiple R² = 0.53), with the highest δ¹³C (greatest C₄ abundance) in the warm, subhumid Horqin dune field. In late Quaternary, eolian stratigraphic sections of the Mu Us and Horqin dune fields, but not in the much colder Otindag dune field, δ¹³C is higher in organic carbon from paleosols than in eolian sands. This contrast, most evident for paleosols recording a major early to middle Holocene phase of dune stabilization, is interpreted as evidence for expansion of C₄ plants due to increased effective moisture, high temperature because of high insolation, and decreased disturbance related to eolian erosion and deposition.     

Sea-Surface Temperatures and the History of Monsoon Upwelling in the Northwest Arabian Sea during the Last 500,000 Years

Arabian Sea sediments record changes in the upwelling system off Arabia, which is driven by the monsoon circulation system over the NW Indian Ocean. In accordance with climate models, and differing from other large upwelling areas of the tropical ocean, a 500,000-yr record of productivity at ODP Site 723 shows consistently stronger upwelling during interglaciations than during glaciations. Sea-surface temperatures (SSTs) reconstructed from the alkenone unsaturation index (U^K′₃₇) are high (up to 27°C) during interglaciations and low (22-24°C) during glaciations, indicating a glacial-interglacial temperature change of >3°C in spite of the dampening effect of enhanced or weakened upwelling. The increased productivity is attributed to stronger monsoon winds during interglacial times relative to glacial times, whereas the difference in SSTs must be unrelated to upwelling and to the summer monsoon intensity. The winter (NE) monsoon was more effective in cooling the Arabian Sea during glaciations then it is now.     

The variations of stable carbon isotope ratio of land plant-derived n-alkanes in deep-sea sediments from the Bering Sea and the North Pacific Ocean during the last 250,000 years

Two piston cores, one located far from the continents (The North Pacific Ocean: ES core), and another located comparatively closer to the continents (The Bering Sea: BOW-8a core) were investigated to reconstruct environmental changes on source land areas. The results show significant contribution of terrestrial organic matter to sediments in both cores. The δ¹³C values of n-C₂₇, n-C₂₉, and n-C₃₁ alkanes in sediments from the North Pacific ES core show significant glacial to interglacial variation whereas those from the Bering Sea core do not. Variations of δ¹³C values of land plant n-alkanes are related to the environmental or vegetational changes in the source land areas. Environmental changes, especially, aridity, rainfall, and pCO₂ during glacial/interglacial transitional periods can affect vegetation, and therefore C₃ / C₄ plant ratios, resulting in δ¹³C changes in the preserved land plant biomarkers. Maximum values of δ¹³C as well as maximum average chain length values of long chain n-alkanes in the ES core occur mostly at the interglacial to glacial transition zones reflecting a time lag related to incorporation of living organic matter into soil and transportation into ocean basins via wind and/or ability of C₄ plants to adapt for a longer period before being replaced by C₃ plants when subjected to gradual climatic changes. Irregular variations with no clear glacial to interglacial trends in the BOW-8a core may result from complex mixture of aerosols from westerly winds and riverine organic matter from the Bering Sea catchments. In addition, terrestrial organic matter entering the Bering Sea could originate from multiple pathways including eolian, riverine, and ice rafted debris, and possibly be disturbed by turbidity and other local currents which can induce re-suspension and re-sedimentation causing an obliterated time relation in the Bering Sea biomarker records.     

Stable isotope evidence for the origin of diagenetic carbonate minerals from the Lower Jurassic Inmar Formation, southern Israel

The oxygen isotope compositions of diagenetic carbonate minerals from the Lower Jurassic Inmar Formation, southern Israel, have been used to identify porewater types during diagenesis. Changes in porewater composition can be related to major geological events within southern Israel. In particular, saline brines played an important role in late (Pliocene-Pleistocene) dolomitization of these rocks. Diagenetic carbonates included early siderite (δ¹⁸O_SMOW=+24.4 to +26.5‰δ¹³C_PDB=?1.1 to +0.8‰), late dolomite, ferroan dolomite and ankerite (δ¹⁸O_SMOW=+18.4 to +25.8‰; δ¹³C_PDB=?2.1 to +0.2‰), and calcite (δ¹⁸O_SMOW=+21.3 to +32.6‰; δ¹³C_PDB=?4.2 to + 3.2‰). The petrographic and isotopic results suggest that siderite formed early in the diagenetic history at shallow depths. The dolomitic phases formed at greater depths late in diagenesis. Crystallization of secondary calcite spans early to late diagenesis, consistent with its large range in isotopic values. A strong negative correlation exists between burial depth (temperature) and the oxygen isotopic compositions of the dolomitic cements. In addition, the δ¹⁸O values of the dolomitic phases in the northern Negev and Judea Mountains are in isotopic equilibrium with present formation waters. This behaviour suggests that formation of secondary dolomite post-dates the tectonic activity responsible for the present relief of southern Israel (Upper Miocene to Pliocene) and that the dolomite crystallized from present formation waters. Such is not the case in the Central Negev. In that locality, present formation waters have much lower salinities and δ¹⁸O values, indicating invasion of freshwater, and are out of isotopic equilibrium with secondary dolomite. Recharge of the Inmar Formation by meteoric water in the Central Negev occurred in the Pleistocene, and halted formation of dolomite.     

Late Holocene (~ 2 ka) East Asian Monsoon variations inferred from river discharge and climate interrelationships in the Pearl River Estuary

A sediment core from the Pearl River Estuary (PRE) was analyzed for grain size and organic geochemistry parameters (TOC and δ¹³C_org). The results showed that high mean grain-size value and increased sand content were correlated with the high TOC and negative δ¹³C_org. These results indicated high river runoff in the PRE area. Peak river discharge occurred during the periods 1900–1750, 1500–1600, 1400–1200, 1000–900 and 750–600 cal yr BP. The main changes recorded in grain-size distributions, TOC contents, and δ¹³C_org variations appear to be directly related to monsoon precipitation in the sediment source area. An increased East Asian summer monsoon rainfall (EASM) and/or an enhanced East Asian winter monsoon rainfall could result in the increasing of monsoon rainfall. Typhoon related rainfalls could act as positive influence on precipitation levels. The study of the correlations between the rainfall records and ENSO activities revealed a close relationship between the monsoon rainfall in the PRE and the tropical Pacific variations. The frequent occurrence of ENSO might result in the southern migration of the EASM rain belt and lead to more typhoon-derived rainfall in the PRD during the late Holocene.     

A coupled physical-biological-chemical model for the Indian Ocean

A coupled physical-biological-chemical model has been developed at C-MMACS. for studying the time-variation of primary productivity and air-sea carbon-dioxide exchange in the Indian Ocean. The physical model is based on the Modular Ocean Model, Version 2 (MOM2) and the biological model describes the nonlinear dynamics of a 7-component marine ecosystem. The chemical model includes dynamical equation for the evolution of dissolved inorganic carbon and total alkalinity. The interaction between the biological and chemical model is through the Redfield ratio. The partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO₂) of the surface layer is obtained from the chemical equilibrium equations of Penget al 1987. Transfer coefficients for air-sea exchange of CO₂ are computed dynamically based on the wind speeds. The coupled model reproduces the high productivity observed in the Arabian Sea off the Somali and Omani coasts during the Southwest (SW) monsoon. The entire Arabian Sea is an outgassing region for CO₂ in spite of high productivity with transfer rates as high as 80 m-mol C/m² /day during SW monsoon near the Somali Coast on account of strong winds.     

Diagenetically altered sabkha-type Pleistocene dolomite from the Arabian Gulf

Diagenetically altered Pleistocene dolomite occurs in the shallow subsurface of the Arabian Gulf, offshore of Al Jubayl, Saudi Arabia. This dolomite accumulated in relatively shallow marine to sabkha depositional environments. In contrast with the thin extent of most other Quaternary sabkha and sabkha-related dolomite deposits, these deposits comprise a thick (>56 m) accumulation. Additionally, this Pleistocene dolomite displays a high degree of ordering and has a more nearly ideal stoichiometric composition than the dolomite from the depositionally and diagenetically analogous Abu Dhabi sabkha complex. The Pleistocene dolomite also has lower δ¹³ and δ¹⁸O values than the modern Abu Dhabi sabkha dolomite, and higher values than those commonly reported for analogous dolomite from the ancient rock record. The low δ¹⁸O values, in conjunction with the geological setting, indicate that the diagenetic waters were meteoric or mixed meteoric and marine in composition. Thus, the degree of ordering, stoichiometric and stable isotopic values indicate that this dolomite has undergone diagenetic alteration relative to its presumed Holocene precursor.     

Geochemical evidence for abrupt changes in relative strength of the Arabian monsoons during a stadial/interstadial climate transition

The occurrence and propagation of abrupt climate change between the high and low-latitudes has become an important focus of paleoclimatic and paleoceanographic research. The causes of abrupt change have significant implications for understanding future manifestations of similar forcings under late Holocene (‘Anthropocene’) boundary conditions. Of particular interest are signals indicative of sub-millennial scale climate change in the sub-tropics of similar magnitude and frequency to those recorded in Greenland ice cores. Earlier research in the Arabian Sea has highlighted the sensitivity of sedimentary organic carbon and nitrogen isotope measurements for recording the state of the SW monsoon and associated Arabian Sea Oxygen Minimum Zone. In this study, we exploit the unprecedented fidelity of the sedimentary δ¹⁵N record to identify a 20 cm interval at ODP Site 723 containing a stadial/inter-stadial interval between 43-42 Kyr BP. We employ sedimentary nitrogen isotopes, chlorin pigment and alkenone abundances, major and minor element analyses of highly-resolved (2 mm ≈ 10 yr) samples across this interval to compare a comprehensive, multi-proxy data set to understand (a) the processes contributing to the δ¹⁵N signal in the longer records of denitrification; and (b) the associated climatic events, especially the relative intensity of summer and winter monsoons at these times. A lack of evidence for bioturbation in excess of our 2 mm sampling resolution facilitates decadal-scale oceanographic and climatic reconstructions. Using a four-component flux-dilution model, we show that the deposition of carbonate decreased in parallel with an increase in Total Organic Matter flux from stadial to inter-stadial time. This interval is also marked by a significant drop in lithogenic (dust) accumulation, analogous to a similar decrease noted during deglaciation in the Western Arabian Sea. Combined with alkenone U₃₇^K′-derived estimates for sea surface temperature (SST), we conclude that the climatological shift from stadial to inter-stadial conditions at low latitudes was characterized by repeated switches in mean monsoon state approximately every 200 yr. The winter monsoon was the dominant mode during maximum stadial conditions; conversely the summer monsoon was dominant during maximum interstadial-like conditions. However, each interval was separated by a distinct ‘inter-monsoon’ mode, indicated by a higher continental dust flux but warmer SST. Proxy records for changing bottom-water oxygenation show near-identical results down to the mm-scale, but hint at increased export production leading the onset of anoxia during the stadial/inter-stadial transition. The coherence of all sedimentary signals depicts a wholesale reorganization of the Arabian Sea climate and marine ecosystem over approximately 200 years, a period that may be associated with monsoon modulation by small oscillations in solar irradiance.     

Do Stable Isotope Data from Calcrete Record Late Pleistocene Monsoonal Climate Variation in the Thar Desert of India?

Late Pleistocene terrestrial climate records in India may be preserved in oxygen and carbon stable isotopes in pedogenic calcrete. Petrography shows that calcrete nodules in Quaternary sediments of the Thar Desert in Rajasthan are pedogenic, with little evidence for postpedogenic alteration. The calcrete occurs in four laterally persistent and one nonpersistent eolian units, separated by colluvial gravel. Thermoluminescence and infrared- and green-light-stimulated luminescence of host quartz and feldspar grains gave age brackets for persistent eolian units I–IV of ca. 70,000–60,000, ca. 60,000–55,000, ca. 55,000–43,000, and ca. 43,000–25,000 yr, respectively. The youngest eolian unit (V) is <10,000 yr old and contains no calcrete. Stable oxygen isotope compositions of calcretes in most of eolian unit I, in the upper part of eolian unit IV, and in the nonpersistent eolian unit, range between −4.6 and −2.1‰ PDB. These values, up to 4.4‰ greater than values from eolian units II and III, are interpreted as representing nonmonsoonal¹⁸O-enriched “normal continental” waters during climatic phases when the monsoon weakened or failed. Conversely, 25,000–60,000-yr-old calcretes (eolian units II and III) probably formed under monsoonal conditions. The two periods of weakened monsoon are consistent with other paleoclimatic data from India and may represent widespread aridity on the Indian subcontinent during isotope stages 2 and 4. The total variation in δ¹³C is 1.7‰ (0.0–1.7‰), and δ¹³C covaries positively and linearly with δ¹⁸O. δ¹³C values are highest when δ¹⁸O values indicate the most arid climatic conditions. This is best explained by expansion of C₄grasses at the expense of C₃plants at low latitudes during glacial periods when atmosphericpCO₂was lowered. C₄dominance was overridingly influenced by global change in atmosphericpCO₂despite the lowered summer rainfall.     

Evidences of CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Leakage During the Last Deglaciation: The Need to Understand Deep-ocean Carbonate Chemistry of the Arabian Sea

It is generally accepted view that the ventilation of Southern Ocean during the last deglaciation was the key factor in atmospheric CO₂ rise. Further, other sites were identified, like the western equatorial Pacific, the Sub-Antarctic Atlantic and the eastern equatorial Pacific. Now there are evidences that CO₂ was also released from the eastern Arabian Sea. The Arabian Sea is unique in characteristic, being land locked from the North and affected by monsoon winds and seasonal reversing circulations. Furthermore, the CO₂ outgassing noticed during deglaciation makes it an interesting region to understand if the outgassing occurred from the deeper waters and hence led to any rise in deepwater \([\rm{CO}_3^{2-}]\).     

Biogeochemical characterization of a Mediterranean shallow lake using stable isotopes: Laguna del Cristo (NW Iberian Peninsula)

The present multi-isotopic study (δ¹⁸O–δD_water, δ³⁴S–δ¹⁸O_{dissolved-sulphate}, δ¹³C_{dissolved-inorganic-carbon}, δ¹³C–δ¹⁸O_{shells-modern-gastropods}, δ¹³C_plants, and δ¹³C_{sedimentary-organic-matter}) is aimed at assessing the hydrogeochemical changes and biogeochemical dynamics in a Mediterranean shallow lake fed by a Quaternary–Tertiary aquifer, the “Laguna del Cristo” (NW Iberian Peninsula), a system sensitive to climate fluctuations, between 2010 and 2011. Lake water is of the bicarbonate type, and there are no major pollutants. δ¹⁸O-δD_water values plot on a local evaporation line (δD=5.29δ¹⁸O–12.29) indicating that evaporative enrichment had a significant impact on lake water isotopic features. Periods of high water levels are characterized by lower δ³⁴S–δ¹⁸O_{dissolved-sulphate} and δ¹³C_{dissolved-inorganic-carbon} values and suggest sulphate derived from weathering of sulphides in the catchment area, delivered to the lake by surface run-off or via groundwater, and in situ decay of organic matter. During lower water levels, sulphate reduction and enhanced primary productivity lead to higher δ³⁴S_{dissolved-sulphate} and δ¹³C_{dissolved-inorganic-carbon} values. Evaporation induced enrichment in ¹⁸O_sulphate, ¹³C_{dissolved-inorganic-carbon} and ¹³C–¹⁸O_{shells-Galba-Gyraulus}. δ¹³C_plant confirms the C3 photosynthetic pathway. Enrichment in ¹³C submerged aquatic plants indicates that HCO₃^? is the main carbon source, except for ¹³C-depleted Potamogeton. The TOC, δ¹³C_org values, and TC/TN ratios in sediments all confirm the autochthonous character of organic matter contribution. This study provides a baseline for isotopic research into shallow, flow-through lakes fed by siliciclastic aquifers, and stresses the importance of evaporation and refilling (direct precipitation and groundwater discharge) in controlling the solute chemistry and stable isotopic composition in temperate regions with contrasting seasonal climates. The results also provide a snapshot of modern lake isotope variability that can be applied to paleoenvironmental reconstructions.     

Carbon isotope composition of long chain leaf wax n-alkanes in lake sediments: A dual indicator of paleoenvironment in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The carbon isotope composition (δ¹³C values) of long chain n-alkanes in lake sediments has been considered a reliable means of tracking changes in the terrigenous contribution of plants with C₃ and C₄ photosynthetic pathways. A key premise is that long chain leaf wax components used for isotope analysis are derived primarily from terrigenous higher plants. The role of aquatic plants in affecting δ¹³C values of long chain n-alkanes in lacustrine sediments may, however, have long been underestimated. In this study, we found that a large portion of long chain n-alkanes (C₂₇ and C₂₉) in nearshore sediments of the Lake Qinghai catchment was contributed by submerged aquatic plants, which displayed a relatively positive carbon isotope composition (e.g. −26.7‰ to −15.7‰ for C₂₉) similar to that of terrestrial C₄ plants. Thus, the use of δ¹³C values of sedimentary C₂₇ and C₂₉ n-alkanes for tracing terrigenous vegetation composition may create a bias toward significant overestimation/underestimation of the proportion of terrestrial C₄ plants. For sedimentary C₃₁, however, the contribution from submerged plants was minor, so that the δ¹³C values for C₃₁ n-alkane in surface sediments were in accord with those of the modern terrestrial vegetation in the Lake Qinghai region. Moreover, we found that changes in the δ¹³C values of sedimentary C₂₇ and C₂₉ n-alkanes were closely related to water depth variation. Downcore analysis further demonstrated the significant influence of endogenous lipids in lake sediments for the interpretation of terrestrial C₄ vegetation and associated environment/climate reconstruction. In conclusion, our results suggest that the δ¹³C values of sedimentary long chain n-alkanes (C₂₇, C₂₉ and C₃₁) may carry different environmental signals. While the δ¹³C values of C₃₁ were a reliable proxy for C₄/C₃ terrestrial vegetation composition, the δ¹³C values of C₂₇ and C₂₉ n-alkanes may have recorded lake ecological conditions and sources of organic carbon, which might be affected by lake water depth.     

Variation of paleo-productivity and terrigenous input in the Eastern Arabian Sea during the past 100 ka

A 4.1 m long sediment core from the Eastern Arabian Sea (EAS) is studied using multiple geochemical proxies to understand the variation of productivity and terrigenous matter supply during the past 100 ka. The temporal variation in element concentration and fluxes of CaCO₃, organic carbon (C_org) and Barium excess (Ba_exc), together, in general indicate a higher productivity during the cold climate and highest during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) in particular. This cold climate-increased productivity coupling may be attributed to the shoaling of nutricline due to enhanced convective mixing resulting from the intensified winter monsoon. Increased linear sedimentation rates and fluxes of Al, Fe, Mg, Ti, Cr, Cu, Zn, and V during the cold period also suggest increased input of terrigenous matter supporting intensified winter winds. However, the presence of large abundance of structurally unsupported elemental content (e.g.: Mg-86%, Fe-82% and Al-53%) indicate increased input of terrigenous material which was probably enhanced due to intense winter monsoon.     

Loading and fate of particulate organic carbon from the Himalaya to the Ganga-Brahmaputra delta

We use the evolution of river sediment characteristics and sedimentary C_org from the Himalayan range to the delta to study the transport of C_org in the Ganga-Brahmaputra system and especially its fate during floodplain transit.A detailed characterisation of both mineral and organic particles for a sampling set of river sediments allows taking into account the sediment heterogeneity characteristic of such large rivers. We study the relationships between sediment characteristics (mineralogy, grain size, specific area) and C_org content in order to evaluate the controls on C_org loading. Contributions of C3 and C4 plants are estimated from C_org stable isotopic composition (δ¹³C_org). We use the evolution of δ¹³C_org values from the Himalayan range to the delta in order to study the fate of C_org during floodplain transit.Ganga and Brahmaputra sediments define two distinct linear relations with specific area. In spite of 4-5 times higher specific area, Ganga sediments have similar C_org content, grain size and mineralogy as Brahmaputra sediments, indicating that specific area does not exert a primary control on C_org loading. The general correlation between the total C_org content and Al/Si ratio indicates that C_org loading is mainly related to: (1) segregation of organic particles under hydrodynamic forces in the river, and (2) the ability of mineral particles to form organo-mineral aggregates.Bed and suspended sediments have distinct δ¹³C_org values. In bed sediments, δ¹³C_org values are compatible with a dominant proportion of fossil C_org derived from Himalayan rocks erosion. Suspended sediments from Himalayan tributaries at the outflow of the range have low δ¹³C_org values (−24.8‰ average) indicating a dominant proportion of C3 plant inputs. In the Brahmaputra basin, δ¹³C_org values of suspended sediments are constant along the river course in the plain. On the contrary, suspended sediments of the Ganga in Bangladesh have higher δ¹³C_org values (−22.4‰ to −20.0‰), consistent with a significant contribution of C4 plant derived from the floodplain. Our data indicate that, during the plain transit, more than 50% of the recent biogenic C_org coming from the Himalaya is oxidised and replaced by floodplain C_org. This renewal process likely occurs during successive deposition-erosion cycles and river course avulsions in the plain.     

Zincian dolomite related to supergene alteration in the Iglesias mining district (SW Sardinia)

One of the main effects of supergene alteration of ore-bearing hydrothermal dolomite in areas surrounding secondary zinc orebodies (Calamine-type nonsulfides) in southwestern Sardinia (Italy) is the formation of a broad halo of Zn dolomite. The characteristics of supergene Zn dolomite have been investigated using scanning electron microscopy and qualitative energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, thermodifferential analysis, and stable isotope geochemistry. The supergene Zn dolomite is characterized by variable amounts of Zn, and low contents of Pb and Cd in the crystal lattice. It is generally depleted in Fe and Mn relative to precursor hydrothermal dolomite (Dolomia Geodica), which occurs in two phases (stoichiometric dolomite followed by Fe-Mn-Zn-rich dolomite), well distinct in geochemistry. Mg-rich smithsonite is commonly associated to Zn dolomite. Characterization of Zn-bearing dolomite using differential thermal analysis shows a drop in temperature of the first endothermic reaction of dolomite decomposition with increasing Zn contents in dolomite. The supergene Zn dolomites have higher δ¹⁸O but lower δ¹³C values than hydrothermal dolomite. In comparison with smithsonite-hydrozincite, the supergene Zn dolomites have higher δ¹⁸O, but comparable δ¹³C values. Formation of Zn dolomite from meteoric waters is indicated by low δ¹³C values, suggesting the influence of soil-gas CO₂ in near-surface environments. The replacement of the dolomite host by supergene Zn dolomite is interpreted as part of a multistep process, starting with a progressive “zincitization” of the dolomite crystals, followed by a patchy dedolomitization s.s. and potentially concluded by the complete replacement of dolomite by smithsonite.     

Carbon isotope analyses of n-alkanes in dust from the lower atmosphere over the central eastern Atlantic

Atmospheric dust samples collected along a transect off the West African coast have been investigated for their lipid content and compound-specific stable carbon isotope compositions. The saturated hydrocarbon fractions of the organic solvent extracts consist mainly of long-chain n-alkanes derived from epicuticular wax coatings of terrestrial plants. Backward trajectories for each sampling day and location were calculated using a global atmospheric circulation model. The main atmospheric transport took place in the low-level trade-wind layer, except in the southern region, where long-range transport in the mid-troposphere occurred. Changes in the chain length distributions of the n-alkane homologous series are probably related to aridity, rather than temperature or vegetation type. The carbon preference of the leaf-wax n-alkanes shows significant variation, attributed to a variable contribution of fossil fuel- or marine-derived lipids. The effect of this nonwax contribution on the δ¹³C values of the two dominant n-alkanes in the aerosols, n-C₂₉ and n-C₃₁ alkane, is, however, insignificant. Their δ¹³C values were translated into a percentage of C₄ vs. C₃ plant type contribution, using a two-component mixing equation with isotopic end-member values from the literature. The data indicate that only regions with a predominant C₄ type vegetation, i.e. the Sahara, the Sahel, and Gabon, supply C₄ plant-derived lipids to dust organic matter. The stable carbon isotopic compositions of leaf-wax lipids in aerosols mainly reflect the modern vegetation type along their transport pathway. Wind abrasion of wax particles from leaf surfaces, enhanced by a sandblasting effect, is most probably the dominant process of terrigenous lipid contribution to aerosols.