Chemical weathering, river geochemistry and atmospheric carbon fluxes from volcanic and ultramafic regions on Luzon Island, the Philippines

We investigated rates of chemical weathering of volcanic and ophiolitic rocks on Luzon Island, the Philippines. Luzon has a tropical climate and is volcanically and tectonically very active, all factors that should enhance chemical weathering. Seventy-five rivers and streams (10 draining ophiolites, 65 draining volcanic bedrock) and two volcanic hot springs were sampled and analyzed for major elements, alkalinity and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr. Cationic fluxes from the volcanic basins are dominated by Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ and dissolved silica concentrations are high (500-1900 μM). Silica concentrations in streams draining ophiolites are lower (400-900 μM), and the cationic charge is mostly Mg²⁺. The areally weighted average CO₂ export flux from our study area is 3.89 ± 0.21 × 10⁶ mol/km²/yr, or 5.99 ± 0.64 × 10⁶ mol/km²/yr from ophiolites and 3.58 ± 0.23 × 10⁶ mol/km²/yr from volcanic areas (uncertainty given as ±1 standard error, s.e.). This is ∼6-10 times higher than the current best estimate of areally averaged global CO₂ export by basalt chemical weathering and ∼2-3 times higher than the current best estimate of CO₂ export by basalt chemical weathering in the tropics. Extrapolating our findings to all tropical arcs, we estimate that around one tenth of all atmospheric carbon exported via silicate weathering to the oceans annually is processed in these environments, which amount to ∼1% of the global exorheic drainage area. Chemical weathering of volcanic terranes in the tropics appears to make a disproportionately large impact on the long-term carbon cycle.     

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.     

The role of supergene sulphuric acid during weathering in small river catchments in low mountain ranges of Central Europe: Implications for calculating the atmospheric CO2 budget

The geochemistry of dissolved and suspended loads in river catchments of two low mountain ranges in Central Europe allows comparison of pertinent chemical weathering rates. Distinct differences in lithology, i.e. granites prevailing in the Black Forest compared to Palaeozoic sediments in the Rhenish Massif, provide the possibility to examine the influence of lithology on weathering. Here we determine the origin of river water using the stable isotope ratio δ¹⁸O_H2O and we quantify the geogenic proportions of sulphate from stable isotope ratios δ³⁴S_SO4 and δ¹⁸O_SO4. Particularly in catchments with abundant pyrite, determination of the geogenic amount of sulphate is important, since oxidation of pyrite leads to acidity, which increases weathering. Our results show that spatially averaged silicate weathering rates are higher for the river catchments Acher and Gutach in the Black Forest (10–12 t/km²/yr) compared to the river catchments of the Möhne dam and the Aabach dam in the Rhenish Massif (2–6 t/km²/yr). Correspondingly, the CO₂ consumption by silicate weathering in the Black Forest (334–395 × 10³ mol/km²/yr) is more than twice as high as in the Rhenish Massif (28–151 × 10³ mol/km²/yr). These higher rates for watersheds of the Black Forest are likely due to steeper slopes leading to higher mechanical erosion with respective higher amounts of fresh unweathered rock particulates and due to the fact that the sediments in the Rhenish Massif have already passed through at least one erosion cycle. Carbonate weathering rates vary between 12 and 38 t/km²/yr in the catchments of the Rhenish Massif. The contribution of sulphuric acid to the silicate weathering is higher in the catchments of the Rhenish Massif (9–16%) than in the catchments of the Black Forest (5–7%) due to abundant pyrite in the sediments of the Rhenish Massif. Three times higher long-term erosion rates derived from cosmogenic nuclides compared to short-term erosion rates derived from river loads in Central Europe point to three times higher CO₂ consumption during the past 10³ to 10⁴ years.     

Fluxes of high- versus low-temperature water-rock interactions in aerial volcanic areas: Example from the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia

Volcanic areas play a key role in the input of elements into the ocean and in the regulation of the geological carbon cycle. The aim of this study is to investigate the budget of silicate weathering in an active volcanic area. We compared the fluxes of the two major weathering regimes occurring at low temperature in soils and at high temperature in the active volcanic arc of Kamchatka, respectively. The volcanic activity, by inducing geothermal circulation and releasing gases to the surface, produces extreme conditions in which intense water-rock interactions occur and may have a strong impact on the weathering budgets. Our results show that the chemical composition of the Kamchatka river water is controlled by surface low-temperature weathering, atmospheric input and, in some limited cases, strongly imprinted by high-temperature water-rock reactions. We have determined the contribution of each source and calculated the rates of CO₂ consumption and chemical weathering resulting from low and high-temperature water/rock interactions. The weathering rates (between 7 and 13.7 t/km²/yr for cations only) and atmospheric CO₂ consumption rates (∼0.33-0.46 × 10⁶ mol/km²/yr for Kamchatka River) due to rock weathering in soils (low-temperature) are entirely consistent with the previously published global weathering laws relating weathering rates of basalts with runoff and temperature. In the Kamchatka River, CO₂ consumption derived from hydrothermal activity represents about 11% of the total HCO₃ flux exported by the river. The high-temperature weathering process explains 25% of the total cationic weathering rate in the Kamchatka River. Although in the rivers non-affected by hydrothermal activity, the main weathering agent is carbonic acid (reflected in the abundance of in rivers), in the region most impacted by hydrothermalism, the protons responsible for minerals dissolution are provided not only by carbonic acid, but also by sulphuric and hydrochloric acid. A clear increase of weathering rates in rivers impacted by sulphuric acid can be observed. In the Kamchatka River, 19% of cations are released by hydrothermal acids or the oxidative weathering of sulphur minerals.Our results emphasise the important impact of both low and high-temperature weathering of volcanic rocks on global weathering fluxes to the ocean. Our results also show that besides carbonic acid derived from atmospheric CO₂, hydrochloric acid and especially sulphuric acid are important weathering agents. Clearly, sulphuric acid, with hydrothermal activity, are key parameters that cause first-order increases of the chemical weathering rates in volcanic areas. In these areas, accurate determination of weathering budgets in volcanic area will require to better quantify sulphuric acid impact.     

The fluvial geochemistry, contributions of silicate, carbonate and saline-alkaline components to chemical weathering flux and controlling parameters: Narmada River (Deccan Traps), India

The Narmada River in India is the largest west-flowing river into the Arabian Sea, draining through the Deccan Traps, one of the largest flood basalt provinces in the world. The fluvial geochemical characteristics and chemical weathering rates (CWR) for the mainstream and its major tributaries were determined using a composite dataset, which includes four phases of seasonal field (spot) samples (during 2003 and 2004) and a decade-long (1990-2000) fortnight time series (multiannual) data. Here, we demonstrate the influence of minor lithologies (carbonates and saline-alkaline soils) on basaltic signature, as reflected in sudden increases of Ca²⁺-Mg²⁺ and Na⁺ contents at many locations along the mainstream and in tributaries. Both spot and multiannual data corrected for non-geological contributions were used to calculate the CWR. The CWR for spot samples (CWR_spot) vary between 25 and 63 ton km⁻² year⁻¹, showing a reasonable correspondence with the CWR estimated for multiannual data (CWR_multi) at most study locations. The weathering rates of silicate (SilWR), carbonate (CarbWR) and evaporite (Sal-AlkWR) have contributed ∼38-58, 28-45 and 8-23%, respectively to the CWR_spot at different locations. The estimated SilWR (11-36 ton km⁻² year⁻¹) for the Narmada basin indicates that the previous studies on the North Deccan Rivers (Narmada-Tapti-Godavari) overestimated the silicate weathering rates and associated CO₂ consumption rates. The average annual CO₂ drawdown via silicate weathering calculated for the Narmada basin is ∼0.032 × 10¹² moles year⁻¹, suggesting that chemical weathering of the entire Deccan Trap basalts consumes approximately 2% (∼0.24 × 10¹² moles) of the annual global CO₂ drawdown. The present study also evaluates the influence of meteorological parameters (runoff and temperature) and physical weathering rates (PWR) in controlling the CWR at annual scale across the basin. The CWR and the SilWR show significant correlation with runoff and PWR. On the basis of observed wide temporal variations in the CWR and their close association with runoff, temperature and physical erosion, we propose that the CWR in the Narmada basin strongly depend on meteorological variability. At most locations, the total denudation rates (TDR) are dominated by physical erosion, whereas chemical weathering constitutes only a small part (<10%). Thus, the CWR to PWR ratio for the Narmada basin can be compared with high relief small river watersheds of Taiwan and New Zealand (1-5%) and large Himalayan Rivers such as the Brahmaputra and the Ganges (8-9%).     

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.     

Climatic and lithologic controls on the temporal and spatial variability of CO2 consumption via chemical weathering: An example from the Australian Victorian Alps

A detailed geochemical study on river waters of the Australian Victorian Alps was carried out to determine: (i) the relative significance of silicate, carbonate, evaporite and sulfide weathering in controlling the major ion composition and; (ii) the factors regulating seasonal and spatial variations of CO₂ consumption via silicate weathering in the catchments. Major ion chemistry implies that solutes are largely derived from evaporation of precipitation and chemical weathering of carbonate and silicate lithologies. The input of solutes from rock weathering was determined by calculating the contribution of halite dissolution and atmospheric inputs using local rain and snow samples. Despite the lack of carbonate outcrops in the study area and waters being undersaturated with respect to calcite, the dissolution of vein calcite accounts for up to 67% of the total dissolved cations, generating up to 90% of dissolved Ca and 97% of Mg. Dissolved sulfate has δ³⁴S values of 16 to 20‰_CDT, indicating that it is derived predominantly from atmospheric deposition and minor gypsum weathering and not from bacterial reduction of FeS₂. This militates against sulphuric acid weathering in Victorian rivers. Ratios of Si vs. the atmospheric corrected Na and K concentrations range from ~ 1.1 to ~ 4.3, suggesting incongruent weathering from plagioclase to smectite, kaolinite and gibbsite.Estimated long-term average CO₂ fluxes from silicate weathering range from ~ 0.012 × 10⁶ to 0.039 × 10⁶ mol/km²/yr with the highest values in rivers draining the basement outcrops rather than sedimentary rocks. This is about one order of magnitude below the global average which is due to low relief, and the arid climate in that region. Time series measurements show that exposure to lithology, high physical erosion and long water–rock contact times dominate CO₂ consumption fluxes via silicate weathering, while variations in water temperature are not overriding parameters controlling chemical weathering. Because the atmospheric corrected concentrations of Na, K and Mg act non-conservative in Victorian rivers the parameterizations of weathering processes, and net CO₂ consumption rates in particular, based on major ion abundances, should be treated with skepticism.     

Seasonal variations of physical and chemical erosion: A three-year survey of the Rhone River (France)

Numerous studies of weathering fluxes have been carried out on major world rivers during the last decade, to estimate CO₂ consumption rates, landscape evolution and global erosion rates. For obvious logistical reasons, most of these studies were based on large scale investigations carried out on short timescales. By comparison, much less effort has been devoted to long term monitoring, as a means to verify the temporal variability of the average characteristics, their trends, and the representativeness of short-term investigations. Here we report the results of a three-year survey (November 2000 to December 2003) of the major and trace element composition of dissolved and suspended matter in the lower Rhone River (France), the largest river of the Mediterranean area. Subsurface water samples were collected in Arles, about 48 km upstream of the estuary, twice a month routinely, and at higher frequency during flood events.During each flood event, the suspended particulate matter (SPM) show the usual trend of clockwise hysteresis with higher SPM concentrations on the rising limb of the flood than at the same discharge on the falling limb. We show that the annual average SPM flux of the Rhone River to the Mediterranean Sea (7.3 ± 0.6 × 10⁶ tons yr⁻¹) was largely controlled by the flood events (83% of the solid discharge occurred in less than 12% of the time), and that the precision on the total output flux depends strongly on the precise monitoring of SPM variations during the floods.The chemical composition of water and SPM are characterized by the predominance of Ca²⁺ due to the abundance of carbonate rocks in the Rhone watershed. Chemical budgets have been calculated to derive the contributions of atmospheric deposition, carbonate, silicate and evaporite weathering, and anthropogenic inputs. The chemical weathering rate of carbonates is estimated to be 89 ± 5 t km⁻² yr⁻¹ compared to 14.4 ± 3 t km⁻² yr⁻¹ from silicates. By contrast, the physical erosion rate of silicates is about 51 t km⁻² yr⁻¹ against 19 t km⁻² yr⁻¹ for carbonates.The steady-state model of Gaillardet et al. (1995) has been applied to the chemical composition of dissolved and solid products. The results show that the Rhone River currently exports much less material than produced at steady-state by weathering in its watershed. The sediment flux inferred from the steady-state calculation (21-56 × 10⁶ t yr⁻¹) is on the same order as that estimated in literature for the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries. This imbalance may suggest that the Rhone is under a transient erosion regime following climate change (i.e. significant decrease of the flooding frequency since the beginning of the 19th century). On the other hand, the imbalance may also be due to the trapping of alluvion by the numerous dams on the river and its tributaries.Our data corroborate with previous studies that suggest a strong coupling between chemical and physical erosion fluxes, during the hydrological seasonal cycle of the Rhone River. The correlation between physical and chemical transport rates is, however, clearly different from that reported for global annual averages in large world rivers.     

Chemical weathering in the Upper Huang He (Yellow River) draining the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

We examined the fluvial geochemistry of the Huang He (Yellow River) in its headwaters to determine natural chemical weathering rates on the northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, where anthropogenic impact is considered small. Qualitative treatment of the major element composition demonstrates the dominance of carbonate and evaporite dissolution. Most samples are supersaturated with respect to calcite, dolomite, and atmospheric CO₂ with moderate (0.710-0.715) ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios, while six out of 21 total samples have especially high concentrations of Na, Ca, Mg, Cl, and SO₄ from weathering of evaporites. We used inversion model calculations to apportion the total dissolved cations to rain-, evaporite-, carbonate-, and silicate-origin. The samples are either carbonate- or evaporite-dominated, but the relative contributions of the four sources vary widely among samples. Net CO₂ consumption rates by silicate weathering (6-120 × 10³ mol/km²/yr) are low and have a relative uncertainty of ∼40%. We extended the inversion model calculation to literature data for rivers draining orogenic zones worldwide. The Ganges-Brahmaputra draining the Himalayan front has higher CO₂ consumption rates (110-570 × 10³ mol/km²/yr) and more radiogenic ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (0.715-1.24) than the Upper Huang He, but the rivers at higher latitudes are similar to or lower than the Upper Huang He in CO₂ uptake by silicate weathering. In these orogenic zones, silicate weathering rates are only weakly coupled with temperature and become independent of runoff above ∼800 mm/yr.     

Northern latitude chemical weathering rates: clues from the Mackenzie River Basin, Canada

The main scope of this study is to investigate parameters controlling chemical weathering rates for a large river system submitted to subarctic climate. More than 110 river water samples from the Mackenzie River system (northern Canada) have been sampled and analyzed for major and trace elements and Sr isotopic ratios in the dissolved phase. The three main morphological units are reflected in water chemistry. Rivers from the Canadian Shield are very dilute, dominated by silicate weathering (Millot et al., 2002), whereas the rivers of the Rocky and Mackenzie Mountains as well as the rivers of the sedimentary Interior Platform are dominated by carbonate weathering and are SO₄ rich. Compared to the rivers of the Mackenzie and Rocky Mountains, the rivers of the interior plains are organic, silica, and Na rich and constitute the dominant input term to the Mackenzie River mainstream. Rivers of the Canadian Shield area do not significantly contribute to the Mackenzie River system. Using elemental ratios and Sr isotopic ratios, a mathematical inversion procedure is presented that distinguishes between solutes derived from silicate weathering and solutes derived from carbonate weathering. Carbonate weathering rates are mostly controlled by runoff, which is higher in the mountainous part of the Mackenzie basin. These rates are comparable to the carbonate weathering rates of warmer areas of the world. It is possible that part of the carbonate weathering is controlled by sulfide oxidative weathering, but its extent remains difficult to assess. Conversely to what was stated by Edmond and Huh (1997), overall silicate weathering rates in the Mackenzie basin are low, ranging from 0.13 to 4.3 tons/km²/yr (Na + K + Ca + Mg), and confirm the negative action of temperature on silicate weathering rates for river basins in cold climates. In contrast to what has been observed in other large river systems such as the Amazon and Ganges Rivers, silicate weathering rates appear 3 to 4 times more elevated in the plains than in the mountainous headwaters. This contradicts the “Raymo hypothesis” (Raymo and Ruddiman, 1992). Isotopic characterization of suspended material clearly shows that the higher weathering rates reported for the plains are not due to the weathering of fine sediments produced in the mountains (e.g., by glaciers) and deposited in the plains. Rather, the relatively high chemical denudation rates in the plains are attributed to lithology (uncompacted shales), high mechanical denudation, and the abundance of soil organic matter derived from incomplete degradation and promoting crystal lattice degradation by element complexation. The three- to fourfold factor of chemical weathering enhancement between the plains and mountains is similar to the fourfold factor of enhancement found by Moulton et al. (2000) between unvegetated and vegetated watershed. This study confirms the negative action of temperature on silicate weathering for cold climate but shows that additional factors, such as organic matter, associated with northern watersheds are able to counteract the effect of temperature. This acceleration by a factor of 4 in the plains is equivalent to a 6°C increase in temperature.     

Geochemistry of large river suspended sediments: silicate weathering or recycling tracer?

This study focuses on the major and trace element composition of suspended sediments transported by the world’s largest rivers. Its main purpose is to answer the following question: is the degree of weathering of modern river-borne particles consistent with the estimated river dissolved loads derived from silicate weathering?In agreement with the well known mobility of elements during weathering of continental rocks, we confirm that river sediments are systematically depleted in Na, K, Ba with respect to the Upper Continental Crust. For each of these mobile elements, a systematics of weathering indexes of river-borne solids is attempted. A global consistency is found between all these indexes. Important variations in weathering intensities exist. A clear dependence of weathering intensities with climate is observed for the rivers draining mostly lowlands. However, no global correlation exists between weathering intensities and climatic or relief parameters because the trend observed for lowlands is obscured by rivers draining orogenic zones. An inverse correlation between weathering intensities and suspended sediment concentrations is observed showing that the regions having the highest rates of physical denudation produce the least weathered sediments. Finally, chemical and physical weathering are compared through the use of a simple steady state model. We show that the weathering intensities of large river suspended sediments can only be reconciled with the (silicate-derived) dissolved load of rivers, by admitting that most of the continental rocks submitted to weathering in large river basins have already suffered previous weathering cycles. A simple graphical method is proposed for calculating the proportion of sedimentary recycling in large river basins. Finally, even if orogenic zones produce weakly weathered sediments, we emphasize the fact that silicate chemical weathering rates (and hence CO₂ consumption rates by silicate weathering) are greatly enhanced in mountains simply because the sediment yields in orogenic drainage basins are higher. Hence, the parameters that control chemical weathering rates would be those that control physical denudation rates.     

The role of trace minerals in chemical weathering in a high-elevation granitic watershed (Estibère, France): chemical and mineralogical evidence

We investigated chemical weathering in a high elevation granitic environment in three selected watersheds located in the Pyrenees (France). The sites were located on glacial deposits derived from similar Hercynian (∼300 Ma) granites characterized by the occurrence of zoned plagioclases and trace calcic phases (epidote, prehnite, sphene, apatite). The surface waters at those sites show high Ca/Na molar ratios (>1) which could not be explained by the dissolution of the major plagioclase (oligoclase) present in the rocks. The coupled approach of investigating stream water chemistry and the mineralogy and chemistry of rocks and soils allowed us to explore the role of the weathering of trace calcic minerals in calcium export at the watershed scale. The weathering of the trace calcic minerals which represent ∼ 1% of the total rock volume are responsible for more than 90% of the calcium export at the sites. Annual cationic fluxes (∼ 23.10⁴ eq/km²/yr) calculated for the Estibère watershed are among the highest reported for high elevation systems draining granitic rocks and ∼ 80% of this annual cationic flux can be attributed to the weathering of trace calcic phases. Calculations based on isotopic values (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr) go in the same direction. Except apatite, the trace calcic phases appear to be mainly silicates, thus the type of chemical weathering observed in the Estibère watershed may have an influence on atmospheric CO₂ consumption by granite weathering. However, comparison with other watersheds draining granitic environments worldwide, and with the two other sites in the Pyrenees, indicate that the role of trace calcic phases is important in most young environments exposed to chemical weathering (e.g., high elevation catchments on glacial deposits). Other factors such as the date of glacial retreat, the physical denudation rate, the hydrological functioning of the watershed and the nature and structure of the soil cover are also important.     

Geochemistry,dissolved elemental flux rates,and dissolution kinetics of lithologies of Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers in Himalayas,India

Alaknanda and Bhagirathi (AB) river basins in the Himalayan region in India expose lithologies comprising mainly of granites, low–high-grade metamorphics, shales and carbonates which, in conjunction with the monsoon rains and glacial melt, control water chemistry and dissolved elemental flux rates. In the present study, we monitored two locations: (a) Srinagar on the Alaknanda river and (b) Maneri on the Bhagirathi river for daily variations in total suspended sediments, major ions and dissolved silica over one complete year (July 2004–June 2005). Based on long-term discharge data, discharge-weighted composition and dissolved elemental flux rates (with respect to Ca, Mg, HCO₃, Si) of the river were estimated. The information thus obtained has substantially added up to the existing chemical data of these rivers and has refined the flux rates. Our high-frequency samples provide informations such as (a) water chemical compositions that show a large temporal and spatial variation and (b) carbonate lithology that controls water chemistry predominantly. The dissolution kinetics of various lithologies namely leucogranite, gneiss, quartzite, phyllite and shale of the AB river basins were studied through batch experiments at controlled temperature (25 and 5°C) and pH (8.4) condition. In laboratory, these lithologies undergo slow rates of dissolution (10⁻¹³ to 10⁻¹⁵ mol/m² s), while field weathering rates based on dissolved elemental flux rates in the AB rivers are much higher (10⁻⁸ to 10⁻⁹ mol/m² s). Extremely high physical weathering rates in AB rivers, which enhance chemical weathering significantly, mainly attribute this wide discrepancy in laboratory-derived rates of representative basin rocks and dissolved elemental fluxes in the field. However, laboratory-simulated experiments facilitate to quantify elemental release rates, understand the kinetics of the dissolution reactions, and compare their roles at individual level.     

Geochemistry of organic-rich river waters in Amazonia: Insights on weathering processes of intertropical cratonic terrain

In this study, eight organic-rich rivers that flow through the Brazilian craton in the southwestern Amazon rainforest are investigated. This investigation is the first of its type in this area and focuses on the effects of lithology, long-term weathering, thick soils, forest cover and hydrological period on the dissolved load compositions in rivers draining cratonic terrain. The major dissolved ion concentrations, alkalinity (TAlk), SiO₂, trace element concentrations, and Sr isotope contents in the water were determined between April 2009 and January 2010. In addition, the isotopic values of oxygen and hydrogen were determined between 2011 and 2013. Overall, the river water is highly dilute and dominated by the major dissolved elements TAlk, SiO₂ and K⁺ and the major dissolved trace elements Al, Fe, Ba, Mn, P, Zn and Sr, which exhibit large temporal and spatial variability and are closely correlated with the silicatic bedrock and hydrology. Additionally, rainwater and recycled water vapor and the size of the basin contribute to the geochemistry of the waters. The total weathering flux estimated from our results is 2–4 t km⁻².yr⁻¹, which is one of the lowest fluxes in the world. The CO₂ consumption rate is approximately 21–61 10³ mol km⁻² yr⁻¹, which is higher than expected given the stability of the felsic to basic igneous and metamorphic to siliciclastic basement rocks and the thick tropical soil cover. Thus, weathering of the cratonic terrain under intertropical humid conditions is still an important consumer of CO₂.     

青藏高原东部长江流域盆地陆地化学风化研究

长江河水主要离子由流域盆地碳酸盐岩的风化所控制,沱沱河和楚玛尔河受蒸发盐岩影响较为明显;河水溶质载荷Si,Si/TZ *,Si/(Na* K)等指标表明,长江流域盆地地表硅酸盐岩风化还是浅表层次的;金沙江地表化学剥蚀速率为1.74×103mol/yr.km2,雅砻江为1.69×103mol/yr.km2,大渡河为1.57×103mol/yr.km2,岷江为1.88×103mol/yr.km2,长江河源区楚玛尔河为2.32×103mol/yr.km2,沱沱河为1.37×103mol/yr.km2,流域地表化学剥蚀速率可与世界上其它造山带的河流进行对比。     

Chemical weathering in the Krishna Basin and Western Ghats of the Deccan Traps, India: Rates of basalt weathering and their controls

Rates of chemical and silicate weathering of the Deccan Trap basalts, India, have been determined through major ion measurements in the headwaters of the Krishna and the Bhima rivers, their tributaries, and the west flowing streams of the Western Ghats, all of which flow almost entirely through the Deccan basalts.Samples (n = 63) for this study were collected from 23 rivers during two consecutive monsoon seasons of 2001 and 2002. The Total dissolved solid (TDS) in the samples range from 27 to 640 mg l⁻¹. The rivers draining the Western Ghats that flow through patches of cation deficient lateritic soils have lower TDS (average: 74 mg l⁻¹), whereas the Bhima (except at origin) and its tributaries that seem to receive Na, Cl, and SO₄ from saline soils and anthropogenic inputs have values in excess of 170 mg l⁻¹. Many of the rivers sampled are supersaturated with respect to calcite. The chemical weathering rates (CWR) of “selected” basins, which exclude rivers supersaturated in calcite and which have high Cl and SO₄, are in range of ∼3 to ∼60 t km⁻² y⁻¹. This yields an area-weighted average CWR of ∼16 t km⁻² y⁻¹ for the Deccan Traps. This is a factor of ∼2 lower than that reported for the Narmada-Tapti-Wainganga (NTW) systems draining the more northern regions of the Deccan. The difference can be because of (i) natural variations in CWR among the different basins of the Deccan, (ii) “selection” of river basin for CWR calculation in this study, and (iii) possible contribution of major ions from sources, in addition to basalts, to rivers of the northern Deccan Traps.Silicate weathering rates (SWR) in the selected basins calculated using dissolved Mg as an index varies between ∼3 to ∼60 t km⁻² y⁻¹, nearly identical to their CWR. The Ca/Mg and Na/Mg in these rivers, after correcting for rain input, are quite similar to those in average basalts of the region, suggesting near congruent release of Ca, Mg, and Na from basalts to rivers. Comparison of calculated and measured silicate-Ca in these rivers indicates that at most ∼30% of Ca can be of nonsilicate origin, a likely source being carbonates in basalts and sediments.The chemical and silicate weathering rates of the west flowing rivers of the Deccan are ∼4 times higher than the east flowing rivers. This difference is due to the correspondingly higher rainfall and runoff in the western region and thus reemphasises the dominant role of runoff in regulating weathering rates. The silicon weathering rate (SWR) in the Krishna Basin is ∼15 t km⁻² y⁻¹, within a factor of ∼2 to those in the Yamuna, Bhagirathi, and Alaknanda basins of the Himalaya, suggesting that under favourable conditions (intense physical weathering, high runoff) granites and the other silicates in the Himalaya weather at rates similar to those of Deccan basalts. The CO₂ consumption rate for the Deccan is deduced to be ∼3.6 × 10⁵ moles km⁻² y⁻¹ based on the SWR. The rate, though, is two to three times lower than reported for the NTW rivers system; it still reinforces the earlier findings that, in general, basalts weather more rapidly than other silicates and that they significantly influence the atmospheric CO₂ budget on long-term scales.     

How important is it to integrate riverine suspended sediment chemical composition with depth? Clues from Amazon River depth-profiles

The vertical variability in mineralogical, chemical and isotopic compositions observed in large river suspended sediments calls for a depth-integration of this variability to accurately determine riverine geochemical fluxes. In this paper, we present a method to determine depth-integrated chemical particulate fluxes of large rivers, based on river sampling along depth-profiles, and applied to the Amazon Basin lowland tributaries. The suspended particulate matter (SPM) concentration data from depth-profiles is modeled for a number of individual grain size fractions using the Rouse model, which allows to predict the grain size distribution of suspended sediment throughout the whole river cross-section. Then, using (1) the relationship between grain size distribution and the Al/Si ratio (2) relationships between the Al/Si ratio and the chemical concentrations, the chemical composition of river sediment is predicted throughout the river cross-section, and integrated to yield the depth-integrated chemical particulate flux for a number of chemical elements (e.g. Si, Al, Fe, Na, REEs, …). For elements such as Al, Fe, REEs, Th, the depth-integrated flux is around twice as high as the one calculated from river surface sample characteristics. For Na and Si, the depth-integrated flux is three times higher than the “surface” estimate, due to the enrichment of albite and quartz at the bottom of the river. Depth-integrated ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr composition of suspended sediment, also predictable using this method, differs by more than 10⁻³ from the surface sample composition.Finally, potential implications of depth-integrated estimates of Amazon sediment chemistry are explored. Depth-integration of particulate ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr isotopic ratios is necessary for a reliable use of Sr isotopes as a provenance tracer. The concept of steady-state weathering of a large river basin is revisited using depth-integrated sediment composition. This analysis shows that, in the Amazon Basin river, the previously observed discrepancy between (1) weathering intensities of channel surface sediment and (2) silicate-derived dissolved fluxes is only slightly accounted for by the vertical variability of suspended sediment weathering intensities. This observation confirms that most large rivers basins are not eroding at steady-state.     

Weathering and Geochemical Processes Controlling Solute Acquisition in Ganga Headwater–Bhagirathi River, Garhwal Himalaya, India

Water and suspended sediment samples were collected along a longitudinal transect of the Bhagirathi – a headwater stream of the river Ganga, during the premonsoon and postmonsoon seasons, in order to assess the solute acquisition processes and sediment transfer in a high elevation river basin. Study results show that surface waters were dominated by HCO₃ and SO₄ in anionic abundance and Ca in cationic concentrations. A high concentration of sulphate in the source region indicates oxidative weathering of sulphide bearing minerals in the drainage basin. The combination of high concentrations of calcium, bicarbonate and sulphate in river water suggests that coupled reaction involving sulphide oxidation and carbonate dissolution are mainly controlling the solute acquisition processes in the drainage basin. The sediment transfer reveals that glacial weathering and erosion is the major influence on sediment production and transfer. The seasonal and spatial variation in ionic concentration, in general, is related to discharge and lithology. The sediment mineralogy and water mineral equilibrium indicate that water composition is in equilibrium with kaolinite. The river Bhagirathi annually delivers 0.74 M.tons of dissolved and 7.88 M.tons of suspended load to the river Ganga at Devprayag. The chemical and physical denudation rate of the Bhagirathi is 95 and 1010 tons/km²/yr, higher than the Indian and global average.     

Chemical weathering rates in the Alaknanda–Bhagirathi river basins in Himalayas,India

The Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers flow through the Higher and Lesser Himalayas and confluence at Devprayag, which represents the origin of the Ganga (or Ganges) river. In the present study, a vast number of temporal and spatial samples of the river waters were collected and analyzed for major cations and anions. In addition, more recent and time series water flow data have been obtained and based on these inputs, a more refined dissolved flux rates have been estimated. The Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers show significant variations in chemical compositions during different seasons. Carbonate rock weathering is responsible for more than 70% of the chemical compositions in the river waters. The chemical weathering rates show seasonal variations and are much higher during non-monsoon season. The dissolved flux of Alaknanda river is much higher (1.80 × 10⁶ tons yr^?1) as compared to the Bhagirathi river (0.34 × 10⁶ tons yr^?1). The chemical weathering rates in the basin vary between 85 and 155 tons km^?2 yr^?1, which is significantly higher compared to the global average of ～24 tons km^?2 yr^?1.