Impacts of Anthropogenic Land Use Changes on Nutrient Concentrations in Surface Waterbodies: A Review

Increased population leads to land use (LU) changes from natural to urban and agricultural LU. These disturbances not only decrease the natural treatment potential but they also worsen surface water quality (SWQ). The aim of this review is to assess studies about impacts of anthropogenic LU changes on levels of nutrient concentrations in surface waterbodies, highlighting the important parameters needed for an integrated simulation. The results reported in the literature are not always fully consistent. These contradictory results can sometimes be explained by field measurements under different climatic conditions, different features of landscapes, air deposition rates on ground surfaces, and groundwater flow interactions with surface water. Integrated modelling has been suggested to overcome these inconsistencies. Physical‐based and empirical models are the most popular approaches for LU‐SWQ studies. Generally, anthropogenic LU such as agricultural and urban areas usually enhances nutrient concentrations much more than natural lands such as forest and barren. Developing sustainable metropolitan areas instead of rural areas, establishing high‐standard wastewater treatment plants, and practicing efficient fertiliser application would ameliorate the poor nutrient conditions in SWQ. Riparian vegetation, grassed swales, and construction of artificial wetlands as buffer zones are the most promising natural water quality control measures.     

Geochemistry and mineralogy of the Al-rich shale from Baluti formation,Iraqi Kurdistan region: implications for weathering and provenance

The mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of the Upper Triassic Baluti shale from the Northern Thrust Zone (Sararu section) and High Folded Zone (Sarki section) Kurdistan Region, Iraq, have been investigated to constrain their paleoweathering, provenance, tectonic setting, and depositional redox conditions. The clay mineral assemblages are dominated by kaolinite, illite, mixed layers illite/smectite at Sararu section, and illite > smectite with traces of kaolinite at Sarki. Illite, to be noted, is within the zone of diagenesis. The non-clay minerals are dominated by calcite with minor amounts of quartz and muscovite in Sararu shale; and are dominated by dolomite with amounts of calcite and quartz in Sarki shale. Baluti shale is classified as Al-rich based on major and minor elements. The chemical index of alteration (CIA) is significantly higher in the Sararu than the Sarki shales, suggesting more intense weathering of the Sararu than the Sarki shales. The index of compositional variability (ICV) of the Sararu shale is less than 1 (suggesting it is compositionally mature and was deposited in a tectonically quiescent setting). More than 1 for Sarki shales (suggest it is less mature and deposited in a tectonically active setting). Most shale of the Baluti plot parallel and along the A-K line in A-CN-K plots suggest intense chemical weathering (high CIA) without any clear-cut evidence of K-metasomatism. Clay mineral data, Al enrichment, CIA values, and A-CN-K plot suggest that the source area experienced high degree of chemical weathering under warm and humid conditions, especially in Sararu. Elemental ratios critical of provenance (La/Sc, Th/Sc, Th/Cr, Th/Co, Ce/Ce*_PN, Eu/Eu*_PN, and Eu/Eu*_CN) shows slight difference between the Sararu and Sarki shales; and the ratios are similar to fine fractions derived from the weathering of mostly felsic rocks. The Eu/Eu^* _CN, Th/Sc, and low K₂O/Al₂O₃ ratios of most shales suggest weathering from mostly a granodiorite source rather than a granite source, consistent with a source from old upper continental crust. Discrimination diagrams based on major and trace element content point to a role of the felsic-intermediate sources for the deposition of Baluti Formation, and probably mixed with mafic source rocks at Sararu section. The chondrite-normalized rare earth elements (REE) patterns are similar to those of PAAS, with light REE enrichment, a negative Eu anomaly, and almost flat heavy REE pattern similar to those of a source rock with felsic components. The source of sediments for the Baluti Formation was likely the Rutba Uplift and/or the plutonic-metamorphic complexes of the Arabian Shield located to the southwest of the basin; whereas the Sararu shale was affected by the mafic rocks of the Bitlis-Avroman-Bisitoun Ridge to the northeast of Arabian Plate. The tectonic discrimination diagrams, as well as critical trace and REE characteristic parameters imply rift and active setting for the depositional basin of the shale of Baluti Formation. The geochemical parameters such as U/Th, V/Cr, V/Sc, and Cu/Zn ratios indicate that these shales were deposited under oxic environment and also show that Sarki shale was deposited under more oxic environment than Sararu.