Suspended sediment and phosphorus in proglacial rivers: bioavailability and potential impacts upon the P status of ice‐marginal receiving waters

This paper adopts standard tests developed in temperate catchment research to determine the total phosphorus (TP) and the algal available (base‐extractable) phosphorus (NaOH–P) content of a wide range of glaciofluvial sediments from the Northern Hemisphere. We find that the TP content of these sediments is broadly similar to the P content of major rock types in Earth's crust (230–670 µgP/g) and so the TP yields of glacier basins may be high owing to the efficacy of suspended sediment evacuation by glacial meltwaters. We show that this is best achieved where subglacial drainage systems are present. The NaOH–P pool of the sediments is found to be low (1–23 µgP/g) relative to the TP pool and also to the NaOH–P pool of suspended sediments in temperate, non‐glacierized catchments. This most probably reflects the restricted duration of intimate contact between dilute meltwaters and glacial suspended sediments during the ablation season. Thus, despite the high surface‐area:volume ratio of glacial suspended sediments, the potential for P adsorption to mineral surfaces following release by dissolution is also low. Further, sorption experiments and sequential extraction tests conducted using glacial suspended sediments from two Svalbard catchments indicate that the generation of reactive secondary minerals (e.g. Fe‐ and other hydroxides) with a strong capacity to scavenge P from solution (and thereby promote the continued dissolution of P) may also be limited by the short residence times. Most P is therefore associated with poorly weathered, calcite/apatite‐rich mineral phases. However, we use examples from the Svalbard glacier basins (Austre Brøggerbreen and Midre Lovénbreen) to show that the high sediment yields of glaciers may result in appreciable NaOH–P loading of ice‐marginal receiving waters. Again, the importance of subglacial drainage is highlighted, as it produces a major, episodic release of NaOH–P at Midre Lovénbreen that results in a yield (8·2 kg NaOH–P/km²/year) more than one order of magnitude greater than that at Austre Brøggerbreen (where subglacial drainage is absent and the yield is 0·48 kg NaOH‐P/km²/year). Therefore, as since both detrimental and beneficial effects of sediment‐bound P loading in ice marginal receiving waters are possible (i.e. either reduced primary productivity owing to increased turbidity or P fertilization following desorption) there is a pressing need to assess the ambient P status of such environments and also the capacity for ice‐marginal ecosystems to adapt to such inputs. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Importance of soil surface characteristics on water erosion in a small grazed Sahelian catchment

This study concerns the problem of water erosion in the Sahel. Surface water and sediment yields (suspended matter and bedload) were monitored for 3 years (1998–2000) at the outlet of a small grazed catchment (1·4 ha) in the northern part of Burkina Faso. The catchment consists of about 64% sandy deposits (DRY soil surface type), which support most of the vegetation, and about 34% of crusted bare soils (ERO soil surface type). The annual solid‐matter export is more than 90% suspended sediment, varying between 4·0 and 8·4 t ha^?1. The bedload represents less than 10% of soil losses. In a single flood event (10 year return period), the sediment yield can reach 4·2 t ha^?1. During the period studied, a small proportion (20 to 32%) of the floods was thus responsible for a large proportion (80%) of the solid transport. Seasonal variation of the suspended‐matter content was also observed: high mean values (9 g l^?1) in June, decreasing in July and stabilizing in August (between 2 and 4 g l^?1). This behaviour may be a consequence of a reorganization of the soil surfaces that have been destroyed by trampling animals during the previous long dry season, vegetation growth (increase in the protecting effect of the herbaceous cover) and, to a lesser extent, particle‐supply limitation (exhaustion of dust deposits during July). The particle‐size distribution in the suspended matter collected at the catchment outlet is 60% made up of clay: fraction ≤2 µ m. The contribution of this clay is maximum when the water rises and its kaolinite/quartz ratio is then close to that of the ERO‐type surfaces. This indicates that these surfaces are the main source of clay within the catchment. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Short‐term spatial and temporal patterns of suspended sediment transfer in proglacial channels,small River Glacier,Canada

Alpine glacial basins are a significant source and storage area for sediment exposed by glacial retreat. Recent research has indicated that short‐term storage and release of sediment in proglacial channels may control the pattern of suspended sediment transfer from these basins. Custom‐built continuously recording turbidimeters installed on a network of nine gauging sites were used to characterize spatial and temporal variability in suspended sediment transfer patterns for the entire proglacial area at Small River Glacier, British Columbia, Canada. Discharge and suspended sediment concentration were measured at 5 min intervals over the ablation season of 2000. Differences in suspended sediment transfer patterns were then extracted using multivariate statistics (principal component and cluster analysis). Results showed that each gauging station was dominated c. 80% of days by diurnal sediment transfer patterns and ‘low’ suspended sediment concentrations. ‘Irregular’ transfer patterns were generally associated with ‘high’ sediment concentrations during snowmelt and rainfall events, resulting in the transfer of up to 70% of the total seasonal suspended sediment load at some gauging stations. Suspended sediment enrichment of up to 600% from channel storage release and extrachannel inputs occurred between the glacial front and distal proglacial boundary. However, these patterns differed significantly between gauging stations as determined by the location of the gauging station within the catchment and meteorological conditions. Overall, the proglacial area was the source for up to 80% of the total suspended sediment yield transferred from the Small River Glacier basin. These results confirmed that sediment stored and released in the proglacial area, in particular from proglacial channels, was controlling suspended sediment transfer patterns. To characterize this control accurately requires multiple gauging stations with high frequency monitoring of suspended sediment concentration. Accurate characterization of this proglacial control on suspended sediment transfer may therefore aid interpretation of suspended sediment yield patterns from glacierized basins. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Problems of reservoir sedimentation in China

As there are many heavily sediment-laden rivers in China, with high sediment concentration and a large quantity of sediment load, the sedimentation problems of the reservoirs built on those rivers are so serious that the amount of sediment deposited in the reservoirs is great and the rate of sedimentation is accelerated. According to the statistics, up to the end of 1981, a total amount of 11.5×10⁹m³ of sediment were accumulated in those reservoirs, i.e. 14.2% of the total designed capacity were lost. The average annual loss in storage capacity reached 2.3 percent, being the highest in the world. Silting of impounding lakes not only has an effect on the benefits of the reservoirs and seriously threatens the life of reservoirs, but also results in many environmental problems which were not fully estimated in the planning of the reservoirs. In this paper, the situation of reservoir deposition in China are described from the following aspects: 1) the characteristics of hydrology and sediment of the rivers; 2) the seriousness of reservoir sedimentation in China; 3) problems caused by reservoir deposition; 4) the methods of minimizing sediment deposition, etc.     

Spatial pattern of recent sediment and diatom accumulation in a small,monomictic, eutrophic lake

Spatial variability of sediment and diatom deposition was assessed in a small monomictic, eutrophic lake in Northern Ireland (Lough Augher, Co. Tyrone) using measurements from 17 sediment cores. Loss-onignition profiles in water depths >6 m showed good repeatability, while littoral cores were more variable with localised profiles. Dry mass accumulation rates, derived by biostratigraphic correlation to a ²¹⁰Pb dated master core, were variable and not correlated with water depth. Basin mean dry mass accumulation rate was 0.068 g cm^-2 yr^-1 (range 0.036–0.09) prior to 1900, and 0.19 g cm^-2 yr^-1 (range 0.11–0.3) after 1974. Post-1940 cumulative fluxes were estimated for dry mass (range 3.49–916 g cm^-2) and diatoms (range 16.9–113.8×10⁷ frustules cm^-2). Cumulative dry mass was inversely correlated (r=–0.64) with distance from the inflow, indicating its localised influence. No variable was correlated with water depth except frustules of planktonic diatoms (r=0.66). However, high cumulative fluxes of diatoms and dry mass away from the inflow suggest that the expansion of the littoral macrophyte community may be responsible for decreased resuspension in shallow water, and together with increased sediment trapping, has enhanced sediment accumulation in shallow water over recent time periods.     

Magnetic carriers and remanence mechanisms in magnetite‐poor sediments of Pleistocene age,southern North Sea margin

Pleistocene sedimentary sequences in the East Anglian region of Britain record both major and minor climatic oscillations, and the impact of isostatic and eustatic variations. Intensively studied in terms of their lithology and biostratigraphy, the sequences have been difficult to place in an absolute timeframe. Dating and correlation by magnetostratigraphy has been attempted over a number of years. However, these sediments are difficult to date by palaeomagnetic means because they are poor in detrital magnetite, are subject to post‐depositional deformation and diagenesis, and have unknown rates of sedimentation. Determining whether their natural remanence magnetisation (NRM) directions are reliable thus requires information on the mode and timing of remanence acquisition. Here, we apply palaeomagnetic, rock magnetic and mineralogical analyses to identify the NRM carriers in these sediments and hence their palaeomagnetic reliability. Within oxidised fluvial sediments (the Kesgrave Formation), the magnetic carriers appear to be relict magnetic minerals (ferrian ilmenites, chromites, haematite and goethite), which sometimes carry a reliable primary depositional remanence (DRM) but often an overprinting viscous (time‐varying) remanence (VRM). Within some reduced marine and intertidal sediments (within the Crag basin), the iron sulphide, greigite, has been found to carry a reliable, ‘syn’‐depositional chemical remanence (CRM). In all the sediments, magnetic inclusions within silicates are abundant, are significant for the mineral magnetic signal but contribute little to any recoverable palaeomagnetic information. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

QUANTITATIVE MODELING OF SUSPENDED SEDIMENT IN MIDDLE CHANGJIANG RIVER FROM MODIS

1INTRODUCTIONThe quality of water is traditionally determined by col-lectingwatersamplesandanalyzingthesamplesin a lab-oratory. However, sampling is very much hard sledding,time-consuming, slow and expensive, and easily in thecontrol of weather conditions, and does not include allwater areas. Satellite estimates of water quality havefound widespread application. Remote sensing instru-ments have been applied in water quality monitoringwith varying success (DANA and RICHARD, 1999;RUDD…     

The role of current velocity in structuring eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) meadows

Measurements of velocity profiles, bathymetry, and surface sediment characteristics across eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) meadows yielded information on community development processes and functional attributes of this ecosystem. Height/length ratios of the meadows were positively correlated with tidal current velocity. Low, medium, and high current regimes were separated by surface current velocities of approximately 50 and 90 cm s^?1. Z. marina can tolerate approximately 120–150 cm/sec current velocities in the areas studied. Per cent silt-clay and organic matter content of the surface sediments are negatively associated with shear velocity, suggesting that meadows in high current areas are sources while meadows in low current areas are sinks of autochthonous detritus. Current velocity maintains seagrass meadows at different equilibrium levels (relative climaxes). We theorize these different equilibrium levels provide unequal habitat utilization potentials for the associated faunal community.     

黄河下游泥沙输移数值模拟

本文从数学模型入手,探讨黄河下游在多年平均来水来沙条件下,泥沙输移与泥沙淤积的特性,得出黄河下游泥沙沿程淤积分布不均匀主要是由于粗沙、中沙沿程淤积不均匀造成的,如果使来沙减少42.6%,黄河下游可望达到冲淤平衡.     

陕西首次发现南方象化石

在陕西省澄城县采集到一对保存相当完好的南方象第三上臼齿化石。我国关于南方象化石的报导不多,在陕西省则是首次发现。这一发现对了解更新世时期南方象在我国的分布提供了新资料。