HS9.3 | Transfer of sediments and contaminants from river systems to floodplain and lake type deposit in the Anthropocene
EDI
Transfer of sediments and contaminants from river systems to floodplain and lake type deposit in the Anthropocene
Co-organized by GM5
Convener: Ivan LizagaECSECS | Co-conveners: Magdalena UberECSECS, Anthony Foucher, Floriane GuillevicECSECS
Orals
| Tue, 16 Apr, 10:45–12:30 (CEST)
 
Room 2.15
Posters on site
| Attendance Tue, 16 Apr, 16:15–18:00 (CEST) | Display Tue, 16 Apr, 14:00–18:00
 
Hall A
Posters virtual
| Attendance Tue, 16 Apr, 14:00–15:45 (CEST) | Display Tue, 16 Apr, 08:30–18:00
 
vHall A
Orals |
Tue, 10:45
Tue, 16:15
Tue, 14:00
During the Anthropocene, human-environment interactions have exacerbated the transfer of sediments (e.g., from land-use change) and associated contaminants (e.g., heavy metals, pesticides, nutrients, radionuclides, and various organic and organometallic compounds). These fluxes play an important role in catchment ecosystems, directly affecting water quality, habitat conditions and biogeochemical cycles.
Understanding sediment dynamics, including transport pathways, storage and remobilization processes at various spatial and temporal scales is essential for assessing impacts on biodiversity and promoting more responsible and sustainable land and water management policies.
Therefore, this session aims to demonstrate anthropogenic forcing on sediment dynamics and encourages contributions related to rivers, lakes, reservoirs and floodplains utilizing measurements, modelling approaches, or retro-observation analyses to better understand sediment and contaminant transfer at time scales ranging from flood events to several decades.

This session will specifically cover the following topics:
- Assessment of human impacts on landforms and geomorphic processes in sediment and contaminant transport;
- Sediment and contaminant delivery rates from different sources (i.e., agriculture, urban areas, mining, industry, or natural areas);
- Transport, retention and remobilization of sediments and contaminants in catchments and river reaches;
- Modeling of sediment and contaminant transport at different temporal and spatial scales;
- Biogeochemical controls on contaminant transport and transformation;
- Studies of sedimentary processes and morphodynamics, especially sediment budgets;
- Linkages between catchment systems and lakes, including reservoirs;
- Analysis of sediment archives to assess landscape-scale variations in sediment and contaminant yields over medium to long time scales;
- Effects of sediments and contaminants on floodplain, riparian, hyporheic, and other in-stream ecosystems;
- Response of sediment and contaminant dynamics in catchments, lakes and rivers to changing boundary conditions and human actions.

Orals: Tue, 16 Apr | Room 2.15

Chairpersons: Ivan Lizaga, Magdalena Uber, Floriane Guillevic
10:45–10:50
10:50–11:00
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EGU24-1796
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On-site presentation
Thomas Chalaux-Clergue, Pierre-Alexis Chaboche, Sylvain Huon, Seiji Hayashi, Hideki Tsuji, Yoshifumi Wakiyama, Atsushi Nakao, and Olivier Evrard

Significant quantities of radionuclides including a majority of 137Cs have been deposited onto Fukushima landscapes following the accident of Fukushima Dai-ichi Power Plant in March 2011. Starting from late 2013, the Japanese government initiated a large-scale decontamination programme for cropland, residential areas, grassland and forest borders, which was conducted on 12% of the catchment area (8.2 km2) while forest, which is the dominant land use (88%), was not decontaminated. The surface layer of cropland and residential soils (~5 cm) concentrating radiocesium (134Cs, 137Cs) was removed and substituted with a fresh soil -composed of saprolite layer mined at local quarries- which represent 3% of the catchment area (1.8 km2). Thirteen years after the accident, questions remain regarding the fate of residual particle-bound 137Cs across terrestrial environments in response to extreme precipitation (e.g. tropical storm, typhoon, extra-tropical cyclone) and associated erosion events. In particular, there is a need to identify and quantify the sources delivering sediment and associated 137Cs to the water bodies, to reconstruct and evaluate the impact of decontamination on sediment and radiocesium transfers. To conduct this project, one sediment core was collected in undisturbed condition in June 2021 at a downstream location of the Mano Dam reservoir, which drains an early decontaminated catchment (67 km2) (2014–2016). Elemental geochemistry, organic matter, visible colorimetry, particle size, and radiocesium analyses were conducted on the sediment core, with depth increments of 1 cm. These analyses were used to provide multiple lines of evidence to define and interpret the major precipitation events recorded by the sedimentary sequence. Then, the sediment source fingerprinting technique allowed, with a multiple modelling approach (MixSIAR and BMM), to identify changes in sediment sources with variable contributions from forest, cropland, and subsoil (e.g. channel bank, fresh soil) throughout time. During abandonment (2011–2016), the contribution from cropland sharply decreased (from ~50% to 30-35%) while forest increased (from ~40% to 60-65%). Nevertheless, after the completion of decontamination, in late 2016, a significant increase of cropland contributions was observed, returning to the pre-accidental level in the most recently deposited sediment (~55%). It occurred concomitantly with that of sediment originating from the freshly-added soil (i.e. granite saprolite; from about 5% to 25%), reflecting the impact of decontamination. During abandonment, the 137Cs activity in sediment was reduced by 40%, such as the 137Cs flux per extreme event, which was reduced by 20%. After the completion of decontamination, although a strong decrease in 137Cs activity in sediment was observed (up to -60%), it was not associated with such a significant decrease as 137Cs flux per extreme event (0% to -20%). This suggests that the reduction in 137Cs activity in the sediment following decontamination may result from a dilution of contaminated sediments originating from forest with sediment originating from decontaminated cropland fresh soil rather than the removal of contaminated soil in designated areas. To understand the impact of natural soil protection against erosion through revegetation on 137Cs flux over a longer abandonment time, studying sediment cores from lately decontaminated catchment would be useful.

How to cite: Chalaux-Clergue, T., Chaboche, P.-A., Huon, S., Hayashi, S., Tsuji, H., Wakiyama, Y., Nakao, A., and Evrard, O.: Assessing the impact of soil decontamination on radiocesium and sediment transfers in a catchment affected by Fukushima nuclear accident, Japan, using a reservoir sediment core., EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-1796, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-1796, 2024.

11:00–11:10
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EGU24-1821
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ECS
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On-site presentation
Rémi Bizeul, Oriane Lajoie, Olivier Cerdan, Lai-Ting Pak, and Olivier Evrard

Between 1972 and 1993, in the French West Indies, chlordecone – a toxic organochlorine insecticide – was applied to control the banana weevil. In the late 1990s, the intensification of agricultural practices (i.e. intensive ploughing, herbicide application) under banana plantations is expected to have led to accelerated soil erosion and sediment transfers (Bizeul et al., 2023) to aquatic systems and, ultimately, to marine environments (Sabatier et al., 2021). Due to the high affinity of chlordecone for organic matter and its hydrophobicity, these sediment transfers are associated with chlordecone remobilization (Mottes et al., 2021) and pesticide transfers along the land-to-sea continuum. Nevertheless, the links between soil erosion, sediment and chlordecone transfers are not well understood. The investigation of these processes is therefore essential to manage chlordecone transfers along the land-to-sea continuum.

To this end, three sediment cores were collected in an agricultural reservoir (Saint-Esprit, Martinique) and five soil cores (one-meter depth) were sampled along a transect in a banana plantation draining to the reservoir.

Regarding sediment cores, age-depth models were drawn for each core using short-lived radionuclide activities (Bruel et Sabatier, 2020). Furthermore, dry bulk density was measured to calculate mass accumulation rates. Moreover, chlordecone and organic carbon contents were measured on three cores. Overall, results show a correspondence between the increase of sediment supply to the reservoir and that of chlordecone and organic carbon fluxes. In particular, chlordecone fluxes showed an increase since 1999 (± 4 years, depending on the cores) from 200 µg.kg-1 to 600-750 µg.kg-1.

Regarding soil cores, radiocesium activities were measured in 5-cm increments and chlordecone contents were measured in a selection of 2 cores (uplslope and downslope of the transect). On the upper hillslope part, chlordecone contents showed a strong increase at 20 cm, from 255 µg.kg-1 to 591 µg.kg-1, in line with radiocesium activity increase, from 0.5 Bq.kg-1 to 1.4 Bq.kg-1. On the lowest hillslope part, chlordecone contents showed a strong increase at 70 cm, from 520 µg.kg-1 to 1220 µg.kg-1. Based on these results, we assume that chlordecone distribution follows erosion pathways and can accumulate on the foot slope of this banana plantation. Furthermore, in contrast, constant chlordecone contents observed in the upper part of the profile in each core (i.e. 20 and 70 cm) suggest an homogenization of the soil profile, probably due to ploughing operations carried out every 6-8 years for cyclical banana re-plantation.

Overall, these results confirm the transfer of chlordecone with soil particles along a cultivated hillslope and, ultimately, in the sediment deposited in the reservoir. We assume that these processes also reflect land use changes and the occurrence of erosive tropical climatic events. Further work is needed to confirm the validity of these results to other cultivated catchments across the French West Indies.

How to cite: Bizeul, R., Lajoie, O., Cerdan, O., Pak, L.-T., and Evrard, O.: Impact of soil erosion on chlordecone insecticide transfers in a tropical volcanic cultivated subcatchment, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-1821, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-1821, 2024.

11:10–11:20
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EGU24-17267
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ECS
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On-site presentation
Jules Millet, Nathalie Dubois, Moritz F. Lehmann, and Anja S. Studer

Diatom frustules are well-preserved in marine and lacustrine sediments over hundreds or even thousands of years. In addition, although only in very small amounts, they also contain organic matter within their siliceous structure. Previous applications have shown that the 15N/14N ratio of the organic nitrogen contained in diatom frustules (diatom-bound δ15N, or δ15NDB) can be used as a proxy for nutrient cycling in the polar oceans, and that it is not affected by diagenetic effects. However, the applicability of this paleo-proxy to lacustrine sediments has never been tested. Here, we explore the use of δ15NDB to reconstruct the history of nitrogen dynamics in Lake Baldegg (Switzerland) over the past 300 years. This lake was heavily eutrophied due to anthropogenic activities during the 20th century, before the implementation of lake restoration measures (i.e., artificial aeration of the lake bottom since 1982). Using a multi-proxy approach (e.g., reflectance-inferred chlorophyll a and organic carbon accumulation rates, XRF sulfur counts, bulk isotopic composition, C:N ratio), we identified two distinct eutrophication phases (1880-1950 and 1950-1980) that were characterised by an increase in organic matter accumulation and primary productivity, the occurrence of bottom water anoxia, and a change in the origin of the bulk organic matter. The implementation of re-oligotrophication measures has led to the disappearance of anoxic conditions at the bottom of the lake after 1995, and a decrease in phosphorus concentrations in the lake (the latter observed in the monitoring data), which seems to have mitigated primary productivity and organic matter accumulation. δ15NDB increased during the first phase of eutrophication, which could be due to extended denitrification in the water column in an expanding anoxic water column zone, and/or limiting N concentrations for phytoplankton growth, leading to increased nitrate utilization. During the second phase, δ15NDB decreased, probably because fixed N in surface waters was no longer limiting for phytoplankton. After the implementation of re-oligotrophication measures, δ15NDB increased again, possibly the isotopic imprint of external N inputs with a high δ15N signature, such as organic fertilizers (e.g. animal manure, compost). Additionally, the δ15N of hand-picked Daphnia ephippia are lower than, and show no consistent offset to, δ15NDB, suggesting that the N isotope signal of δ15NDB is not transferred to the upper trophic level in that lake. Finally, we measured the offset between δ15NDB and δ15NBULK providing insight into the effects of early diagenesis on the N isotopic composition of bulk sediments. In Lake Baldegg, the offset reversed after the lake was artificially oxygenated, indicating a role of sediment oxygenation in the diagenetic alteration on δ15NBULK.

How to cite: Millet, J., Dubois, N., Lehmann, M. F., and Studer, A. S.: Tracing the eutrophication history of Lake Baldegg using diatom-bound nitrogen isotopes, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-17267, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-17267, 2024.

11:20–11:30
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EGU24-13348
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On-site presentation
R Timothy Patterson, Francine MG McCarthy, Martin J Head, Carling R Walsh, Nicholas L Riddick, Brian F Cumming, Paul B Hamilton, Michael FJ Pisaric, A Cale Gushulak, Peter R Leavitt, Krysten M Lafond, Brendan Llew-Williams, Autumn Heyde, Paul M Pilkington, Joshua Moraal, Nawaf A Nasser, Monica Garvie, Sarah Roberts, Neil L Rose, and Helen M Roe

The Crawford Lake sedimentary sequence in Milton, Ontario, Canada, has been chosen as the Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) for the proposed Anthropocene Series/Epoch, with its inception occurring at 1952 CE in the mid-20th century. This sequence consists of seasonally deposited layers of organic matter capped by summer-deposited calcite, forming in alkaline surface waters when pH and temperature rise above 7.76 and ~15°C, respectively. These sediments preserve a range of proxies that mirror environmental shifts spanning from local, to regional, global scale, indicative of the Anthropocene's onset. Notably, a significant uptick in industrial fossil fuel combustion in the early 1950s is recorded by increased spheroidal carbonaceous particles and a shift in the sediment's nitrogen isotope composition. During the 1960s, the ratios of 239Pu:240Pu and 14C:12C peak, aligning with heightened radioactive fallout from atmospheric nuclear weapons testing, counterbalancing the old carbon effect in Crawford Lake's dolomitic basin. Post-World War II industrial growth in the Great Lakes region, part of the so-called Great Acceleration, led to acid rain that diminished calcite deposition and impacted primary productivity in the lake. This change is reflected in thinner calcite layers concurrent with the proposed GSSP. These varve thickness variations correlate with climate patterns and lake productivity trends, influenced by cycles like the Quasi-biennial Oscillation, El Nino-Southern Oscillation, the 11-year Schwabe sunspot cycle, and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation. The absence of pigments from anaerobic purple sulfur bacteria suggested an oxygen-rich monimolimnion but with elevated bottom-water salinities that was subsequently confirmed by water property data collected through the modern lake water column in all seasons.  Such an aerobic depositional environment is highly atypical for a meromictic lake and it was the elevated alkalinity and higher salinity conditions that resulted in preservation of varves. The oxygenated bottom waters serendipitously prevented the mobilization of 239Pu in the lake sediments, a key primary stratigraphic marker for the Anthropocene.

How to cite: Patterson, R. T., McCarthy, F. M., Head, M. J., Walsh, C. R., Riddick, N. L., Cumming, B. F., Hamilton, P. B., Pisaric, M. F., Gushulak, A. C., Leavitt, P. R., Lafond, K. M., Llew-Williams, B., Heyde, A., Pilkington, P. M., Moraal, J., Nasser, N. A., Garvie, M., Roberts, S., Rose, N. L., and Roe, H. M.: The varved sediment succession of Crawford Lake, Ontario, Canada: GSSP for the proposed Anthropocene Epoch , EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-13348, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-13348, 2024.

11:30–11:40
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EGU24-11268
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On-site presentation
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Mario Morellón, Juan Remondo, Víctor Villasante-Marcos, César Morales-Molino, Jon Gardoki, José Ezequiel Gómez-Arozamena, Jaime Bonachea, Victoria Rivas, Manel Leira, Francisco Javier Ezquerra, Pablo Cruz-Hernández, Pablo Valenzuela, María Luisa Canales, Mario Puente-Sierra, Sandra Yamile Hernández, Artur Stachnik, Carlos Sierra-Fernández, Willy Tinner, and Javier Martín-Chivelet

Reconstructing past environmental changes and identifying their main drivers is essential to predict the future response of natural systems to climate change under ever increasing anthropogenic pressure. To achieve this goal and understand the natural variability (prior to human disturbance) of the main processes involved, it is necessary to extend our temporal records back in time to pre-industrial conditions through the analysis of natural archives. 
The Cantabrian region (Northern Spain) constitutes an excellent natural laboratory to analyze and evaluate the magnitude of recent environmental change because of: i) its particular location, near to the boundary between Eurosiberian and Mediterranean biogeographic regions; ii) its strong elevation (from sea level to >2600 m asl) and climate (oceanic to continental mediterranean) gradients; and iii) the strong human impact to which this region has been subjected during the past few centuries. This research aims at understanding how recent (19th to 21st centuries CE) warming and increasing human land use have affected the geomorphological and geochemical dynamics of Northern Spanish watersheds, in the context of the environmental changes occurred during the last millennia. We use a multi-site approach, integrating high-resolution lake sediment records (Valle, Ausente, Isoba, Pozo Curavacas, Pozo Tremeo and Antuzanos) located along a West to East transect with a strong altitudinal gradient (17—1800 m asl), covering a wide range of climatic conditions and land management. To quantify the contributions of human and climate drivers to the recorded environmental changes, we use a multidisciplinary approach , involving geomorphological and paleolimnological proxies. We particularly focus on three main components of watershed dynamics: i) sediment delivery and depositional dynamics, ii) heavy metal loads, and iii) carbon fluxes. 
The multiproxy analysis of lake sediment cores (sedimentology, geochemistry, environmental magnetism, pollen and diatoms) dated by radiometric techniques (210Pb, 137Cs and 14C) reveals a dominant climate forcing at millennial to centennial timescales on depositional processes, in agreement with speleothem records. This signal has been modulated locally by changing anthropogenic landscape transformations driven by arable and pastoral farming as revealed by biological and geochemical proxies. In contrast, human-driven, abrupt increases in watershed erosion, heavy metal concentrations and nutrient loads occurred since the early to mid-20th century CE, coinciding with the Great Acceleration, in agreement with estuarine records along the Central and Eastern Cantabrian Sea coast analyzed by our research team and collaborators. According to available erosion models, this increase in sediment production has been influenced by a warmer and drier climate, with increasing flood frequency. This environmental change has been particularly intense at low-elevation sites subject to higher anthropogenic pressure, but it has been attenuated during the last two decades in high-elevation areas as a consequence of changing land use and environmental management. 
This research demonstrates the importance of combining different natural archives and methodologies to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the nature, timing, spatial variability, and consequences of the synergistic effects of human activities and climate change on watershed and regional scales. This is a contribution to CALACLIMP project (PID2021-122854OB-I00).

How to cite: Morellón, M., Remondo, J., Villasante-Marcos, V., Morales-Molino, C., Gardoki, J., Gómez-Arozamena, J. E., Bonachea, J., Rivas, V., Leira, M., Ezquerra, F. J., Cruz-Hernández, P., Valenzuela, P., Canales, M. L., Puente-Sierra, M., Hernández, S. Y., Stachnik, A., Sierra-Fernández, C., Tinner, W., and Martín-Chivelet, J.: Integrating lacustrine and coastal sediment records of environmental change in Northern Spain during the Anthropocene, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-11268, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-11268, 2024.

11:40–11:50
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EGU24-11245
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ECS
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On-site presentation
Marie Heydon, Eléonore Resongles, Corinne Casiot-Marouani, Eva Schreck, Philippe Behra, Rémi Freydier, Mylène Marie, Carole Causserand, Sophie Delpoux, Martin Roddaz, Alain Pages, and Jérôme Viers

Past mining activities in the Orbiel Valley pose a significant risk of As contamination to its ecosystems and inhabitants. Approximately 12 million tons of tailings from last century's As and Au mining operations remain on site. Rehabilitation works have been implemented to store mining wastes and treat leaching waters. However recent studies have revealed that contamination is still present in water and sediments (Khaska et al., 2015; Delplace et al., 2022). The complexity of the area and previous findings have shown the importance of a more in-depth study of As sources and fate in the watershed, including 1/ characterizing As contamination levels in the Orbiel River and its tributaries during different hydrological periods, 2/ identifying the main sources of As and 3/ distinguishing the natural geochemical baseline from anthropogenic inputs.

Water samples (<0.22 µm) were collected in the Orbiel River and its tributaries from 2018 to 2022, representing a total of 170 samples, to analyze major element and metal(loid) concentrations, alkalinity, dissolved organic carbon, Sr isotope ratio, and As redox speciation in the dissolved fraction. Rock samples representative of the different geological formations were collected to compare the natural and anthropogenic evolution of the Sr isotope along the Orbiel Valley.

Upstream the mining district, in Orbiel River, the dissolved As concentration was about 2 µg/L and increased downstream near the main waste storage area to 7 – 71 µg/L (min-max, depending on the period) with a high proportion of As(III) (> 52 %). The anthropogenic origin of this contamination was confirmed by the 87Sr/86Sr ratio, which is less radiogenic than in the upstream pristine area, in relation with lime treatment implemented in the mine waste area. However, some valley limestones exhibit a Ca-arsenate-like isotopic ratio, highlighting the need to use complementary tracers to distinguish between anthropogenic and lithological sources. Finally, the mining-impacted tributaries are identified as significant contributors of As to the Orbiel River.

The present study will serve as a reference to interpret the origin, transport, and fate of metal(loid)s during future extreme flood events characteristic of this Mediterranean river.

 

Delplace, G., Viers, J., Schreck, E., Oliva, P., Behra, P., 2022. Pedo-geochemical background and sediment contamination of metal(loid)s in the old mining-district of Salsigne (Orbiel valley, France). Chemosphere 287 (2).

Khaska, M., Le Gal La Salle, C., Verdoux, P., Boutin, R., 2015. Tracking natural and anthropogenic origins of dissolved arsenic during surface and groundwater interaction in a post-closure mining context: isotopic constraints. J. Contaminant Hydrol. 177–178, 122–135.

How to cite: Heydon, M., Resongles, E., Casiot-Marouani, C., Schreck, E., Behra, P., Freydier, R., Marie, M., Causserand, C., Delpoux, S., Roddaz, M., Pages, A., and Viers, J.: Spatio-temporal evolution and source tracking of arsenic in surface waters of an old mining district (Orbiel Valley, France), EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-11245, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-11245, 2024.

11:50–12:00
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EGU24-3953
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On-site presentation
Gareth Bradbury, Alan Puttock, Gemma Coxon, Stewart Clarke, and Rich Brazier

In common with many European streams, most streams in south-west England have failed to reach Good Ecological Status under the Water Framework Directive. The landscape comprises mainly pastoral and arable fields, from which rainwater can run off, carrying huge quantities of sediment and surplus fertiliser. The receiving streams, often highly modified through channelisation, are degraded from the physical, chemical and biological effects of these pollutant loads, most notably high nutrient and fine sediment inputs leading to eutrophication. 


After an absence of 400 years, Eurasian beavers Castor fiber are now being re-introduced into some of these landscapes, or are colonising naturally from nearby introductions. Through the building of their dams and creation of diverse, ponded wetland environments, beavers have been shown to deliver multiple ecosystem services, including flow moderation, habitat provision and water quality improvements.

 
Encompassing highly productive, vegetation-rich shallow areas and deeper, oxygen-limited areas with different nutrient-cycling pathways, beaver wetlands have the potential to improve water quality through the settling out of solids and uptake and cycling of nutrients. By contrast there are periodic releases of solids and nutrients due to burrow and canal excavations, dam breaches and nutrient inputs from the beavers themselves and the diverse fauna and flora supported in their wetlands.

 
To examine the potentially dynamic effects of beavers on the transfer of sediments and contaminants (nutrients) in catchments, this study used fortnightly water sampling at the inflow, outflow and upstream and downstream of three beaver re-introduction enclosures over two years. In addition, automated samplers were deployed to investigate finer temporal resolution responses to rainfall events. 


For each site, suspended solids, nitrogen, carbon and phosphorus concentrations and loads were determined. Sediment storage dynamics were revealed through the novel use of sonar monitoring in ponds and continuous in-situ turbidity sensor measurements at the inflow and outflow.

 
Results demonstrate the dynamic nature of sediment and nutrient reduction in beaver-engineered wetlands, with switches between source and sink states depending on inflow conditions and pond-specific factors. Beaver wetlands were shown to remove nutrient pollution where inflow loads were high and the mixed temporal and spatial dimensions of this study help resolve differences in results between previously published studies.

How to cite: Bradbury, G., Puttock, A., Coxon, G., Clarke, S., and Brazier, R.: Can beavers clean our streams? A study from three agricultural catchments in south-west England, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-3953, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-3953, 2024.

12:00–12:10
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EGU24-12652
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On-site presentation
Marcel van der Perk and Darren Walcott

Historic metal mining and smelting have greatly enhanced the levels and fluxes of heavy metals in and through the fluvial system of the Geul river, a nearly 60 km long transboundary meandering stream in the northeast of Belgium and southeast of the Netherlands. In this study, we examined the long-term (> 1 year) effects of the extreme June 2021 flood on the transfer of sediments and heavy metals through the Geul river system. For this, we quantified the volumetric sediment budget of the channel belt of Dutch part of the Geul river using 0.5 m resolution Lidar-derived DEMs (Algemeen Hoogtebestand Nederland - AHN) for the 2018-2022 period and compared that to the similarly derived sediment budget for the 2012-2018 period. Furthermore, samples of fine sediment from the river bed and the top of the point bars were collected at more or less regular downstream intervals in 2022 and 2023, respectively. These sediment samples were analysed for total zinc and lead concentrations.

During the 2012-2018 period, the sediment of the channel belt was generally negative with an average net erosion rate of about 130 m3 km-1 y-1. This implies that during this period, river cut-bank erosion was not fully compensated by pointbar accretion and that the surface level of the newly formed point bars of the meandering Geul river was in general lower than the former floodplain surface. During the 2018-2022 period, the sediment budget was close to zero in the first 22 km of the Dutch reach downstream from the Belgian-Dutch border. However, in the downstream portion of the channel belt, the net deposition rate increased strongly with an average of about 380 m3 km-1 y-1. This positive sediment budget indicates strong aggradation of the point bars, which can most likely be attributed to backwater effects during the 2021 flood event, which upstream from a culvert underneath a canal close to the confluence of the Geul river into the Meuse river.

The zinc and lead concentrations in the fine fractions of the bed sediments shows a gradually decreasing trend in downstream direction which can be attributed to dilution from less contaminated sediment inputs from soil erosion on the upstream hillslopes and bank erosion. This pattern cannot be directly linked to the June 2021 flood event. In the reach where the sediment budget was close to zero during the 2018-2022 period, the zinc and lead concentrations in the point bar sediments are comparable to those in the fine bed sediments and show similar decreasing downstream trend. However, in the downstream reach, where net aggradation occurred during the 2018-2022 period, the metal concentrations in the point bar sediments deviate from the generally decreasing trend and increase again by a factor of about four. This downstream pattern in metal concentrations denotes that during the 2021 flood event, sediments originating from the contaminated upstream reaches of the Geul river skipped a substantial reach the Geul channel belt and were mainly deposited in the downstream portion of the channel belt.

How to cite: van der Perk, M. and Walcott, D.: Downstream transfer of metal-contaminated sediments in the Geul river as a result of the extreme June 2021 flood event, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-12652, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-12652, 2024.

12:10–12:20
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EGU24-17656
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ECS
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On-site presentation
Jana Cox, Tatjana Edler, Marcel van der Perk, and Hans Middelkoop

River deltas are reliant on upstream fluvial sediment delivery for their survival. The ultimate sediment delivery to deltas and the changing bed dynamics of river channels are strongly dependent on climate and anthropogenic changes within the entire river basin that control the increase (due to e.g. increased erosion, climate change) or decrease (due to e.g. sand mining, dam construction) of sediment supply. In the case of the Rhine-Meuse basin, suspended sediment delivery to the delta apex at Lobith has decreased since the 1950s. Therefore, we investigated changes in suspended sediment concentrations (SSC) and suspended sediment loads (SSL) over time along the main Rhine branch and its major tributaries (the Aare, Main, Mosel and Neckar) to determine the cause of the decline. We hypothesis and mathematically demonstrate that the spatial pattern in the temporal change can explain and determine specific mechanisms that are causing the decline.

Using collated SSC data of varying frequency from 1997-2014, we explored the suspended sediment transport within and along branches using the rating curve method & discharge-suspended sediment relations for a total of 26 measurements stations in the basin. These were compared with bed level data from Ylla-Arbós et al. (2021), to examine the interaction of SSC with bed dynamics.

A clear spatial trend emerged: the decrease in SSC strongly increases in an upstream direction. In the Alpine Rhine SSC has increased. There is negligible change in the upper basin/impounded section of the Rhine. However, SSC decreases emerge after the confluences with the Main and Mosel branches and this decrease becomes stronger moving towards the delta.

We find that contrary to many other river basins which are showing declining fluvial sediment delivery to deltas due to upstream dams or sediment management activities, in the Rhine-Meuse basin  the cause is actually the changing retention of channels and differing erosion rates from the river bed. Since the 19th century there have been activities to straighten and narrow the Rhine river to embank and fix the river course for navigation. This created high amounts of incision in the river bed in the early 20th century, but as proven by Ylla-Arbós et al. (2021) and others, this incision is now decreasing. These changes in suspended sediment supply from the river bed can be correlated to the changing supply at the delta apex. Since the 1980s efforts have been made to stabilize bed erosion and this ‘fixing’ of the river beds has led ultimately to a declining suspended sediment supply to the delta apex. This suggests that response to human interventions is not only relevant at a centurial timescale but is likely to be a defining feature of sediment supply for the coming century.  

 

References

Ylla Arbós, C., Blom, A., Viparelli, E., Reneerkens, M., Frings, R. M., & Schielen, R. M. J. (2021). River response to anthropogenic modification: Channel steepening and gravel front fading in an incising river. Geophysical Research Letters, 48(4), e2020GL091338.

How to cite: Cox, J., Edler, T., van der Perk, M., and Middelkoop, H.: Unravelling the mechanisms behind the spatial and temporal trends of suspended sediment in the Rhine basin , EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-17656, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-17656, 2024.

12:20–12:30
|
EGU24-9548
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On-site presentation
Steffen Kittlaus, Radmila Milačič, Katarina Marković, Nikolaus Weber, Matthias Zessner, and Ottavia Zoboli

Export of potential toxic elements and other particle bound pollutants from catchments is highly dependent on the flow regime. The main driver is the higher mobilisation and transport capacity for suspended particulate matter (SPM) during high flow events.  But are there further dynamics in the concentrations which are not purely driven by the SPM transport?

To answer this question, we investigated the dynamics of the concentrations of potential toxic elements, several other elements and total suspended solids during high flow events by automated sampling and subsequent analysis of dissolved and total concentrations by ICP-MS after microwave assisted acid digestion. At 3 river monitoring sites 3 high flow events were sampled with 3-6 samples per event and site, covering different parts of the flow and turbidity peaks, which were recorded by online-measurements. To complement the river monitoring with data about potential sediment sources, landuse-stratified soil sampling in the catchment and river bed sediment sampling were conducted.

Our case study was the Wulka river in eastern Austria with a catchment area of 384 km2 and two if its tributaries, one with a very high share of treated waste water and the other with no permanent input of waste water. With a mean annual precipitation of 695 mm and a mean elevation of 256 m a.s.l. the river can be classified as a low land river. The landuse is dominated by agriculture including significant share of viniculture.

A first explorative principal component analysis showed, that several elements are strongly related with each other and the suspended sediment concentration. As this was expected, we used the SPM concentration to normalize the elemental concentrations and therefore taking out the variability caused by the suspended solids dynamics for further analysis. The remaining variability will be investigated regarding temporal and spatial patterns and correlation with the sediment and soil concentrations which can give indications about the emission pathways and sources.

To characterize the sampled high flow events, a hysteresis index was calculated from the discharge and turbidity signal which revealed different types of hysteresis, some clockwise hysteresis, several complex hysteresis patterns with different directions of the hysteresis during different times of the event and one small event with anticlockwise hysteresis. Different types of hysteresis can give indications about the distance of the sediment source to the observation location, further contributing to the exploration of SPM sources.

How to cite: Kittlaus, S., Milačič, R., Marković, K., Weber, N., Zessner, M., and Zoboli, O.: Mobilisation and transport dynamics of potential toxic elements during high flow events in a small river catchment, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-9548, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-9548, 2024.

Posters on site: Tue, 16 Apr, 16:15–18:00 | Hall A

Display time: Tue, 16 Apr, 14:00–Tue, 16 Apr, 18:00
Chairpersons: Magdalena Uber, Floriane Guillevic, Ivan Lizaga
A.125
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EGU24-3464
Georg Stauch, Lukas Dörwald, Alexander Esch, Eberhard Andreas Kümmerle, Frank Lehmkuhl, Philipp Schulte, Christina Schwanen, and Janek Walk

The mid-European landscape has been influenced by humans since several millennia. In the Eifel Mountains in western Germany, mining and ore processing in combination with land-use changes considerably altered sediment composition and sediment fluxes. While there have been frequent studies to reconstruct changes in sediment fluxes on the long term, considerably less research focused on the past century. To decipher the recent human influence on the landscape, the sediments of the Urft Reservoir in the northern Eifel Mountains were analysed. The Reservoir started operation in 1905, and was the largest reservoir in Europe at this time. In November in 2020 the reservoir was drained for construction works, offering the unique possibility to analyse sediment volume and composition.

A high resolution sediment budget for the past century was calculated using topographical maps with a scale of 1:1000 created prior to the construction of the reservoir. For the most recent topography the entire lake area was photogrammetrically surveyed using an uncrewed aerial system (UAS). Mean accumulation in the whole reservoir was around 1.54 m and regionally above 6 m.

Additionally, 24 cores were retrieved from the bottom of the reservoir. A range of different sedimentological proxies including grain-size, heavy metals, geochemical ratios, sediment colour and microplastics were analysed. An absolute chronology was established based on 137Cs dating. Up to four different sedimentary units could be distinguished in the cores. The upper two units consist of reservoir sediments and were deposited between 1905 and 2020. The heavy metals content in these sediments show a strong connection to historical changes in the ore industry in the Urft valley. The decline of the metal processing industry as well as stricter environmental protection laws resulted in a reduced input of lead, copper and zinc from the 1960s to the 1980s. Since that time the content has remained relatively constant. Microplastic particles appear in the sediments since the mid-1960s. Furthermore, a distinct layer of high microplastic content was recorded in the cores. This event-layer could be traced back to a major fire in a glassworks and plastics factory in 1991 in the upper Urft catchment.

In summer 2021, the northern Eifel Mountains were impacted by a catastrophic flooding event, resulting in massive destructions in the catchment of the Urft and strong relocation of sediments in the floodplain. To assess these geomorphologic changes in the Urft reservoir, the water level was lowered again in December 2021 and an additional UAS survey was conducted. Furthermore, additional sediment samples were taken. However, we could neither observe any significant changes in the heavy metal content in the flood sediment nor asses the sediment input by the flooding event. The topographic changes due to the flood were generally to low and within the error margins of our method (0.5 m).

How to cite: Stauch, G., Dörwald, L., Esch, A., Kümmerle, E. A., Lehmkuhl, F., Schulte, P., Schwanen, C., and Walk, J.: Reservoir sediments in central Europe as archives of human-environmental interaction during the past 115 years - the example of the Urft Reservoir, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-3464, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-3464, 2024.

A.126
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EGU24-6153
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ECS
Nikolaus Weber, Steffen Kittlaus, Radmila Milacic, Jörg Krampe, Ottavia Zoboli, and Matthias Zessner

Many anthropogenic sources discharge thousands of micropollutants into surface waters, which can pose a risk to human health and the environment. Monitoring provides a better understanding of the occurrence and transport dynamics of these pollutants and is the basis for mitigation measures as well as valuable validation loads for pollution transport models. As conventional monitoring methods do not provide the full picture in terms of transport dynamics (Weber, 2023), there is a need for more specific monitoring methods.

To prove this statement, a one-year monitoring program was established at two Austrian rivers, namely the Wulka and one of its tributaries. The locations are strategically located to capture different catchment properties. This monitoring program consists of monitoring stations at each river equipped with automatic samplers and online measurements of flow, turbidity, and conductivity. The monitoring is carried out by a one-year sampling program to cover the variability of micropollutants over a whole year by taking both volume-proportional composites and grab samples at a biweekly interval. The samples are then analyzed in labs and for total suspended solids (TSS) and various micropollutants from the group of heavy metal, pharmaceuticals, pesticides and PFAS.

Turbidity events are an important transport factor for many micropollutants and therefor need to be considered for annual load calculation (Weber, 2023). We therefor integrated online turbidity data with the pollutant measurements to enhance accuracy of current load calculation methods. Those calculated annual load were validated on the monitoring data from the monitoring campaign to ensure robust results. The biweekly resolution of the monitoring data allowed for detailed analysis to reveal patterns, trends and anomalies that could impacted the load estimation. This led to a comparison of the methods and suggestions to improve their robustness.

This research helps to understand river transport dynamics of TSS and micropollutants towards robust estimation of annual micropollutant loads in rivers to improve future monitoring campaigns and annual load calculation for pollution transport model validation.

How to cite: Weber, N., Kittlaus, S., Milacic, R., Krampe, J., Zoboli, O., and Zessner, M.: Robust River load estimation of micropollutants: Method validation on an extended micropollutants dataset, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-6153, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-6153, 2024.

A.127
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EGU24-6366
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ECS
Floriane Guillevic, Olivier Evrard, Pierre Sabatier, Anthony Foucher, Gerald Dicen, and Christine Alewell

For decades the artificial radionuclide 137Cs has been used as an independent time marker to ascertain the 210Pb chronology to date recent sediments from the Anthropocene period (<150 years). The distribution and depositional timing of man-made fallout radionuclides (FRN) are well constrained in the Northern Hemisphere, where most nuclear weapon test sites were located. The maximum deposition year of 1963 is usually marked by a 137Cs peak. Although the major nuclear powers stopped testing in 1963, France continued to test atmospheric nuclear bombs (1966-1974) in French Polynesia in the Pacific (Moruroa and Fangataufa atolls). This later and prolonged period of French bomb testing in the Southern Hemisphere may have resulted in a wider distribution with higher FRN levels in depth profiles of environmental archives, such as lake sediment cores.

To test this hypothesis, a literature review was conducted (n=124), in which 137Cs data were collected from lake sediments (including dam reservoirs and lagoons) across the Southern hemisphere. Decay-corrected 137Cs activities, 137Cs inventories (where available) and parameters of the 137Cs profile shape have been reported for many countries and latitudinal bands. In addition, environmental and physical parameters were reported for each lake site. Global parameters influence the atmospheric distribution and deposition of FRN such as the distance from the nuclear test site, the wind distribution (relative to the Intertropical Convergence Zone position), the wind direction (westerlies vs trade winds) and the annual precipitation. Conversely, local scale parameters such as sedimentation rate, catchment to lake area ratio, and maximum elevation difference will influence the depositional processes of FRN in lake sediments. A meta-analysis of these parameters will help to identify parameters that are crucial for understanding the 137Cs distribution across the Southern Hemisphere. Based on these results, we selected the new sampling sites, which are likely to reflect mainly FRN atmospheric input, for further reconstruction of fallout radionuclide chronologies in the Southern Hemisphere.

How to cite: Guillevic, F., Evrard, O., Sabatier, P., Foucher, A., Dicen, G., and Alewell, C.: Environmental and physical factors controlling the distribution of 137Cs in lake sediments in the Southern Hemisphere: a meta-analysis, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-6366, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-6366, 2024.

A.128
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EGU24-7807
Tao Zhou and Xiankun Yang

Suspended sediment is closely linked to nutrients, pollutants, and heavy metals, profoundly affecting aquatic ecosystems and widely recognized as a vital indicator of inland water health. Consequently, Suspended sediment concentration (SSC) can affect the growth of aquatic organisms in fish ponds, posing a substantial threat to aquaculture production. However, research on the long-term spatial and temporal dynamics of SSC, along with its response to various natural and anthropogenic factors in small water bodies like fish ponds, remains relatively scarce. This study aims to recalibrate current unified models using measured data to derive a more applicable SSC retrieval model specifically for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). Using Landsat top-of-atmosphere reflectance data from Google Earth Engine (GEE), the recalibrated model was utilized to generate SSC data for fish ponds in GBA spanning from 1986 to 2019.The results indicate that SSC in GBA fish ponds is significantly elevated during spring and summer compared to autumn and winter, with spring SSC recording the highest levels in most years. In the last 34 years, there has been a substantial overall decline in SSC in fish ponds, with an almost 50% reduction in the annual average SSC. Notably, this reduction was most pronounced in the northern, western, and eastern regions, resulting in a spatial pattern of higher SSC concentrations in the central and southern areas and lower concentrations in the surrounding regions. Correlation analysis unveiled substantial relationships (P < 0.01) between SSC interannual variations and factors like wind, speed, river sediment load, and NDVI, except for precipitation (P > 0.05). The surrounding land use of fish ponds and their proximity to rivers emerged as critical determinants influencing the spatial distribution of SSC. Furthermore, diverse aquaculture activities, such as the pond's farming cycle and production, play a significant role in regulating SSC, thereby influencing its temporal and spatial variations. GBA is one of China's highly developed aquaculture regions with dense populations, thus rendering the findings of this study valuable from both economic and ecological perspectives.

How to cite: Zhou, T. and Yang, X.: Response of suspended sediment to natural and anthropogenic factors in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area’s fish ponds over the Past 40 Years, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-7807, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-7807, 2024.

A.129
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EGU24-8555
Development and validation of an automated method using a FlowCAM to detect and quantify Spheroidal carbonaceous particles (SCPs) from peat samples
(withdrawn)
Rongqin Liu, Gaël Le Roux, Laure Gandois, Neil Rose, Frederic Azemar, and Oskar Hagelskjaer
A.130
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EGU24-10712
Anthony Foucher, Amaury Bardelle, Jean Paolo Gomes Minella, Marcos Tassano, Guillermo Chalar, Mirel Cabrera, and Olivier Evrard

Since the mid-1980s, agriculture in South America has intensified and expanded significantly. For example, Brazilian census data show that cultivated land increased by 80% between 1996 and 2006, mainly in ecologically fragile areas (e.g., the Amazon, Cerrado, and Pampa). While agriculture plays a critical role in the socio-economic life of South America's agricultural regions, it also has negative environmental impacts, including land-use change, biodiversity loss, soil erosion and agrochemical contamination. To mitigate the negative effects of accelerated sediment transport, conservation practices such as no-tillage were adopted in the 2000s. Despite the advantage of not tilling the soil, the no-till system has a significant potential for soil and water degradation, both because of the high amount of inputs (pesticides and nutrients) added to the soil surface and because of the susceptibility to surface runoff formation and related processes.

Agricultural expansion and intensification are expected to continue in South America in the coming decades to meet growing food demand. However, the long-term (>40 years) responses of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems to these anthropogenic pressures and conservation practices remain poorly documented due to a lack of multi-decadal monitoring stations or field measurements. Sedimentary archives collected in rivers and lakes draining South American regions affected by this agricultural expansion/intensification provide a unique opportunity to reconstruct the magnitude of these environmental impacts. In this study, we propose a synthesis of sedimentary archives published in Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina, with a focus on the post-1950 period. These studies, which report on sediment dynamics and sediment characteristics (such as organic matter, phosphorus, accumulation rate), will be used to reconstruct the regional trajectory of terrestrial and aquatic ecological degradation related to these increasing human pressures. These trajectories will be compared with existing data on land use change, agricultural inputs, etc. to understand the response of the system to these perturbations and to better anticipate potential future degradation in line with expected trends in the coming years.

How to cite: Foucher, A., Bardelle, A., Minella, J. P. G., Tassano, M., Chalar, G., Cabrera, M., and Evrard, O.: Retro-observations of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem degradation associated with agricultural intensification in South America using sedimentary archives, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-10712, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-10712, 2024.

A.131
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EGU24-15753
Shirong Cai and Xiankun Yang

Suspended sediment is an important water quality parameter that plays an important role in regulating water and sediment dynamics in estuaries and shaping landform patterns. As one of China's important shipping channels, the sediment transport laws in the Pearl River Estuary (PRE) are very complex, which affects the water quality monitoring, pollutant transport, and offshore environmental and ecological protection of the PRE. This study takes the Pearl River Estuary as the study area, combines Landsat 8 images and measured data to construct suspended sediment inversion models in four seasons, and explores the seasonal patterns of suspended sediment concentration (SSC), to gain a deeper understanding of the transport mechanisms of suspended sediment in the PRE. The results show that: (1) From 2013 to 2021, there were significant seasonal differences in SSC. SSC was generally low during autumn and winter, and was higher during the dry season compared to the wet season. (2) At the interannual scale, SSC in the PRE exhibited a stable decrease. The suspended sediment is mainly concentrated at the estuary, and the spatial distribution pattern shows a distribution trend of higher on the west coast and lower on the east coast. (3) The suspended sediment in this region is influenced by various factors, such as upstream dam construction, seasonal rainfall changes, and land use changes. The findings of this study provide scientific insights for the sustainable development and ecological environment protection of the Pearl River Estuary, as well as suggestions for navigation safety and the security of infrastructure on both coasts.

How to cite: Cai, S. and Yang, X.: Seasonal Retrieval of Suspended Sediment in the Pearl River Estuary Based on Measured Data, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-15753, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-15753, 2024.

A.132
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EGU24-18246
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ECS
Liza-Marie Beckers, Magdalena Uber, Simon Terweh, Thomas Hoffmann, Arne Wick, and Gudrun Hillebrand

Extreme weather events pose major challenges for water managers and will likely increase in the future due to climate change. Heavy rain events potentially lead to short-term, but extraordinary changes in the composition of organic micropollutants (OMPs) e.g., via increased surface runoff and the input of untreated wastewater, as well as high inputs of suspended sediment into water bodies.

This study aims to unravel precipitation-related pollution patterns (including OMPs and suspended sediment) in the Moselle River and identify relevant sources and pathways relevant for rain-related emission. We used monitoring data of suspended sediment, which are derived using 15 min turbidity measurements or work-daily water sampling at seven stations starting in 1974. Furthermore, daily composite samples were collected by automatic samplers at two stations located along the German part of the Moselle River since April 2021. The chemical analyses included nontarget screening as well as target screening for selected fungicides.

From April 2021 to November 2021, 35 daily composite samples were selected for chemical analysis. Only one extreme rain event from July 12th- 14th, 2021 affected the water quality concerning suspended sediment concentrations and OMP mixture composition dramatically. During the event, 75 mm rainfall within 3 days lead to a flood with a return period of approximately five years. The estimated suspended sediment load of 141,000 tons during this event corresponds to approximately 13 times the long-term mean for the entire month of July and 23 % of the average annual load. A clockwise hysteresis pattern was observed, indicating instream remobilization of sediment and soil erosion in close proximity of the river. Concerning OMPs, three pollution patterns were identified. These patterns represented a) wastewater-related compounds diluted with increasing water level (e.g., pharmaceutical valsartan) as well as direct surface runoff from immediate surroundings of the river (e.g., fungicide fluopicolide), b) compounds introduced via increased groundwater discharge (e.g., pesticide metabolite metolachlor ESA) and c) compounds likely related to surface runoff in the catchment (e.g., herbicide terbuthylazine). While for the latter, the maximum intensity correlated with the maximum discharge and turbidity, the pattern related to groundwater input was characterized by a delay in maximum feature intensity relative to the maximum water level (i.e., kinematic wave effect).

Other, less extreme rain events that occurred since April 2021, did not show such pronounced OMP dynamics and such a strong hydro-sedimentary response in the Moselle river. This study supports our understanding of heavy rain induced OMP and suspended sediment emissions to a large river. With expected higher frequency and intensities of heavy rain events due to climate change, these emissions might gain in relevance in the future.

How to cite: Beckers, L.-M., Uber, M., Terweh, S., Hoffmann, T., Wick, A., and Hillebrand, G.: Suspended sediment and pollutant transport during heavy rain events: A case study of the Moselle river, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-18246, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-18246, 2024.

A.133
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EGU24-19408
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ECS
Yin-Yen Peng and Christina W. Tsai

This study aims to develop a Lagrangian stochastic (LS) model for simulating suspended sediment transport in open channels. The model incorporates three physical levels, namely, position, velocity, and acceleration, to describe sediment movement precisely. Without using any approximations, this approach is intrinsically stochastic and differentiable. It can reproduce different scale motions in turbulent flow for any Reynolds number. We will introduce the Lagrangian turbulent velocity theory into the random term of the sediment transport force balance equation. The random term, describing random particle movements, is usually represented by the Weiner process (i.e., Brownian motion), which is nowhere differentiable. Building upon prior research on stochastic turbulence models, we adopt an 'embedded' Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process to replace the Weiner process in this study. This embedded structure is defined through a set of coupled stochastic ordinary differential equations (ODEs), resulting in a multi-layered equation system. These different levels are interconnected through differentials and integrals. We introduce specific time scales and parameters tailored to different flow conditions to enhance their applicability to sediment transport scenarios. After we build these LS models, we have to validate with data or even calibrate the parameters in the model. We usually use two types of data: DNS data and experimental data. We will extract the details of isotropic turbulent flow in DNS data (such as the Kolmogorov time scale and Lagrangian velocity). The mean flow velocity profile will be determined from the experimental data. One-way coupling might be a reasonable assumption for the suspended sediment transport. However, when the gravitational force acts on the particles, the inter-particle interactions dominate the bed region due to the high particle concentration. A more appropriate resuspension mechanism must be identified so the particle concentrations can be more accurately quantified.

How to cite: Peng, Y.-Y. and Tsai, C. W.: A Lagrangian Stochastic Approach with Embedded Ornstein-Uhlenbeck Processes for Suspended Sediment Transport, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-19408, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-19408, 2024.

A.134
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EGU24-20235
Expressing the quality of sediment in the context of river monitoring plans
(withdrawn)
Anabela Reis and Marta Roboredo
A.135
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EGU24-20737
Aubrey Hillman, Daniel Bain, and Mark Abbott

As anthropogenic impacts to both the climate system and freshwater resources continue unabated and are expected to intensify in coming decades, an increasing number of lakes will experience carbon cycle perturbations. Lakes that have been experiencing such perturbations for millennia can clarify the nature and severity of carbon cycle disturbances as well as recoveries. In lakes with authigenic carbonate material, the use of both inorganic and organic carbon isotopes to detect the decoupling of the inorganic and organic carbon cycles has been underutilized. We summarize here the application of these methods to three lakes in Yunnan, China, which have been impacted by human activities for the last 1,500 years.  Further we compare the results from this time period to the middle and late Holocene, both periods characterized by minimal anthropogenic influence. Decreased precipitation, increased evaporation, and changes in landscape vegetation drive changes observed in sediment carbon isotope compositions from 5,500 to 3,500 years BP. Stabilization of these factors from 3,500 to 1,500 years BP resulted in fairly consistent within-lake nutrient cycling. Following anthropogenic manipulation of lake levels after 1,500 years BP and despite differences in the magnitude of such activities, a pervasive feature in all of these lakes is the decoupling of the inorganic and organic carbon cycles, primarily driven by an influx of oxidized organic carbon from the watershed and/or the respiration of lake sediment organic matter. Carbon cycle decoupling persists into present-day for some lakes, illustrating the importance of considering historical, legacy activities.

How to cite: Hillman, A., Bain, D., and Abbott, M.: Lake organic and inorganic carbon cycle decoupling in response to historical watershed activities in Yunnan, China, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-20737, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-20737, 2024.

Posters virtual: Tue, 16 Apr, 14:00–15:45 | vHall A

Display time: Tue, 16 Apr, 08:30–Tue, 16 Apr, 18:00
Chairpersons: Floriane Guillevic, Magdalena Uber, Anthony Foucher
vA.13
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EGU24-14030
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ECS
Sukhjeet Arora, Harish Kumar Patel, Abhijit Dilip Lade, and Bimlesh Kumar

Sand dredging from the rivers has become an uncontrolled practice that harms the river's ecology. It affects the flow structure of the river, leading to further deterioration of the river's morphology. Several field investigations and experimental studies have conformed to the erosive effects of sand mining pits upstream and downstream of mining locations. We conducted laboratory-scale flume experiments to study the impact of a mining pit on the secondary flow structure across a riverbank cross-section. Three bank slopes were tested, namely, 25°,31°, and 40°, and gravity flow experiments were conducted with and without a mining pit. Turbulent velocity data across the cross-section was analyzed to study the transverse and velocity distribution across the riverbank for both with-pit and without-mining-pit cases. Results show that dredging an upstream mining pit significantly affects the transverse and vertical velocities, especially on the bank slopes and near the bed in the main channel portion. The turbulent kinetic energy in the flow region on the bank slope and near the bed in the main channel portion significantly increases because of the pit excavation. These alterations in the secondary flow within the riverbank can lead to morphological changes and may affect the bank stability of rivers.

Keywords: Sand Mining, Turbulent kinetic energy, turbulence

How to cite: Arora, S., Kumar Patel, H., Dilip Lade, A., and Kumar, B.: Secondary Flow and Turbulent Kinetic Energy in a Dredged Channel with Riverbank, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-14030, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-14030, 2024.