Review
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Zhangdong Jin, Robert G. Hilton, A. Joshua West, Gen K. Li, Fei Zhang, Jin Wang, Gaojun Li, Xuanmei Fan, Meng-Long Hsieh
Summary: Earthquakes play a fundamental role in the evolution of Earth's topography by inducing landslides that affect erosion, sediment flux, river water chemistry, and carbon export. More monitoring, geochemical tracing, paleo-records, and/or modelling studies are needed to compare catchment erosion and weathering processes before and after earthquake events.
SCIENCE CHINA-EARTH SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Robert G. Hilton, Jens M. Turowski, Matthew Winnick, Mathieu Dellinger, Patrick Schleppi, Kenneth H. Williams, Corey R. Lawrence, Katharine Maher, Martin West, Amanda Hayton
Summary: This study examines the impact of hydrological processes on dissolved rhenium in alpine catchments draining sedimentary rocks in Switzerland and Colorado, USA. The results show a higher dissolved rhenium flux in catchments with higher erosion rates, with rhenium primarily sourced from OCpetro. Additionally, a positive correlation between river water [Re]/[Na+] and [Re]/[SO42-] with water discharge suggests preferential routing of rhenium from near-surface weathering zones.
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Haicheng Zhang, Ronny Lauerwald, Philippe Ciais, Kristof Van Oost, Bertrand Guenet, Pierre Regnier
Summary: This study used a land-surface model to simulate carbon exchanges in Europe and found that global change led to a significant increase in carbon delivery to European rivers and the sea. Climate change, rising atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations, and land use change were identified as the main driving factors.
COMMUNICATIONS EARTH & ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Rajendra Bhandari, Joyanto Routh, Prayon Joshi, Samikshya Chhetri, Rajendra Joshi, Subodh Sharma
Summary: The Himalayan rivers play a crucial role in transporting organic carbon and sediments to the ocean. The source and fate of these materials vary in different regions of the Himalayas, with rivers from the Lesser Himalayas and Siwaliks carrying higher levels of organic carbon. The organic matter in Himalayan rivers is mainly in the form of dissolved organic carbon, and rivers from the Lesser Himalayas and Siwaliks transport more organic material during the monsoon season compared to other regions.
Article
Environmental Sciences
S. Kiran Kumar Reddy, Harish Gupta, Upendra Badimela, D. Venkat Reddy, Rama Mohan Kurakalva, Devender Kumar
Summary: The study investigated the POC contents of 70 sizeable tropical coastal rivers in the Western Ghats region of India, highlighting the significant influence of land-use, climate, and topography on the sources and transport characteristics of organic carbon.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jinke Liu, Guilin Han, Di Wang
Summary: In this study, the researchers investigated the co-weathering of silicate, carbonate, and sulfide minerals in the upper Changjiang River and its impact on the long-term carbon cycle. The results show that the CO2 release from sulfide oxidation coupled with carbonate dissolution exceeds the CO2 drawdown from silicate weathering in the Changjiang River basin.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-BIOGEOSCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Zhixiong Shen, Brad E. Rosenheim, Torbjorn E. Tornqvist, Andreas Lang
Summary: Floodplains of large alluvial rivers play a crucial role in the global carbon cycle, with anthropogenic management disconnecting rivers from floodplains leading to reduced oxidative loss of riverine organic carbon and changes in its quality and quantity exported to the ocean.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Sen Xu, Fu-Jun Yue, Si-Liang Li, Hu Ding, Sheng Xu, Yun-Chao Lang, Cong-Qiang Liu
Summary: The release of biospheric organic matter in the humus-rich black soils of Northeast China is influenced by permafrost thaw and agriculturally induced erosion. This study identifies the origins of particulate organic matter and the erosional flux of particulate organic carbon in rivers draining the region, showing significant differences in sources between wet and dry seasons, as well as spatial variations. The findings highlight the sensitivity of terrestrial organic matter export to erosion and the impact of intensive agricultural activities and global climate change in Northeast China.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Luca Salerno, Paolo Vezza, Paolo Perona, Carlo Camporeale
Summary: This study analyzes the eco-morphodynamic activity of large tropical rivers in South and Central America to quantify the carbon flux from riparian vegetation to inland waters. Satellite data of the largest rivers in the Neotropics from 2000 to 2019 were used, and a highly efficient Carbon Pump mechanism was developed. This mechanism alone accounts for 8.9 million tons/year of carbon mobilization in these tropical rivers. Signatures of fluvial eco-morphological activity providing proxies for carbon mobilization capability are identified, and the impact of river migration on carbon intensity of planned hydroelectric dams in the Neotropics is discussed.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Mathieu Dellinger, Robert G. Hilton, Geoff M. Nowell
Summary: The study finds that the variation of rhenium isotopes in river sediments is controlled by source bedrock isotopic variability and modern oxidative weathering processes. After correcting for bedrock variability, the delta Re-187 of solids appear to be positively correlated with the amount of Re depletion related to oxidative weathering. The offset in delta Re-187 between river water and sediment can be explained by preferential oxidation of reactive phases with high delta Re-187 or fractionation during oxidation.
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Gerald Raab, Wasja Dollenmeier, Dmitry Tikhomirov, Goncalo Vieira, Piotr Migon, Michael E. Ketterer, Marcus Christl, Jamey Stutz, Markus Egli
Summary: There is limited data available on comparing soil erosion rates between surfaces of different ages due to short-term processes frequently masking the longer-term erosion signal. This study used isotopes and the principles of percolation theory to investigate the soil dynamics in two areas of different ages at Serra da Estrela, Portugal. The results showed temporal differences in soil mixing processes and revealed that the formerly glaciated area had lower weathering and carbon content compared to the non-glaciated area.
Article
Geography, Physical
Mateja Ogric, Mathieu Dellinger, Katherine E. E. Grant, Valier Galy, Xin Gu, Susan L. L. Brantley, Robert G. G. Hilton
Summary: The oxidation of petrogenic organic carbon (OCpetro) is an important source of carbon dioxide, but the rates of OCpetro oxidation in regions with low rates of denudation are poorly understood. In this study, we used radiocarbon and the trace element rhenium (Re) to track OCpetro oxidation in the Susquehanna Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory. Our findings suggest that OCpetro oxidation rates are low, which is consistent with the low denudation rates and low OCpetro concentrations in this region.
EARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sen Shan, Chunle Luo, Yuanzhi Qi, Wei-Jun Cai, Shuwen Sun, Di Fan, Xuchen Wang
Summary: Transport of terrigenous carbon by rivers in China has been significantly impacted by climate change and human activities in recent decades. Different rivers in China show variations in DIC concentrations and ages, with chemical weathering playing an important role in controlling the production and fate of DIC. Carbonate rock weathering contributes significantly to riverine DIC in the Yangtze River, while silicate rock weathering dominates in the Yellow, Pearl, and Heilongjiang rivers.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-BIOGEOSCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Yongxiang Liu, Hongmei Zhao, Guangying Zhao, Xinyuan Cao, Xuelei Zhang, Aijun Xiu
Summary: Wind erosion from agricultural land leads to high dust emissions and significant loss of carbon and nutrients from the soil. This study estimates global farmland dust emissions and organic carbon losses, with key regions including the UK, Ukraine, Russia, southern Canada, central US, Buenos Aires, and northeast China. These estimates are crucial references for addressing the global carbon cycle, dust emissions, and black soil conservation.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Kenneth Hickenbottom, Krishna Pagilla, David Hanigan
Summary: The study investigated the short-term and long-term impacts of the Caldor and Mosquito Fires on water quality and dissolved organic matter. The results showed significant degradation of water quality in the burned watersheds, including increases in dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen, as well as higher concentrations of disinfection byproduct precursors.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Benjamin Chetelat, Jerome Gaillardet, JiuBin Chen
Summary: Understanding the factors controlling nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems, this paper developed a model to assess boron dynamics in forest ecosystems, showing boron isotopes as a potential tracer for nutrient cycling and ecosystem functioning. The model demonstrated time-dependent variations in boron isotopic compositions and sensitivity to B supply and plant demand, highlighting the importance of boron isotopes in reflecting changes in nutrient cycling dynamics.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Johanna Noireaux, Pamela L. Sullivan, Jerome Gaillardet, Pascale Louvat, Grit Steinhoefel, Susan L. Brantley
Summary: The study examines boron isotopes in different watershed components to understand water-rock interactions in a shale dominated watershed. Results show similarities in boron isotopes between bedrock and soil, while surface waters are enriched in boron compared to other compartments. Modeling suggests that surface water and groundwater isotopic fractionation is mainly due to water-rock interactions.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Xu (Yvon) Zhang, Giuseppe D. Saldi, Jacques Schott, Julien Bouchez, Marie Kuessner, Valerie Montouillout, Michael Henehan, Jerome Gaillardet
Summary: This study investigated the behaviour of lithium during the interaction of kaolinite with artificial seawater, revealing significant isotopic fractionation and implications for interpreting the lithium isotopic composition of both continental and marine waters. The results suggest that detrital material discharged by rivers to the ocean has the potential to strongly impact the isotopic signature of the ocean through the neoformation of clay minerals.
GEOCHIMICA ET COSMOCHIMICA ACTA
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Pierre Lefebvre, Alkiviadis Gourgiotis, Arnaud Mangeret, Pierre Sabatier, Pierre Le Pape, Olivier Diez, Pascale Louvat, Nicolas Menguy, Pauline Merrot, Camille Baya, Mathilde Zebracki, Pascale Blanchart, Emmanuel Malet, Didier Jezequel, Jean-Louis Reyss, John R. Bargar, Jerome Gaillardet, Charlotte Cazala, Guillaume Morin
Summary: The study investigates the evolution of uranium speciation in naturally highly uranium-enriched sediments over a period of 3,300 years. It reveals that mononuclear U(IV) species associated with organic matter transformed into polymeric U(IV)-silica species, which then partially converted to a nanocrystalline coffinite-like phase in less than 700 years. The incomplete transformation observed suggests implications for the long-term management of uranium-contaminated sediments and uranium-bearing wastes in silica-rich subsurface environments.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
William Rapuc, Julien Bouchez, Pierre Sabatier, Kim Genuite, Jerome Poulenard, Jerome Gaillardet, Fabien Arnaud
Summary: Soil erosion is a major environmental threat that affects the Critical Zone and ecosystem services. A study in the Italian Alps used lake sediments to reconstruct the long-term evolution of erosion, showing that human activities have been the dominant driving force of physical erosion in the mountainous environment.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Pierre Lefebvre, Pierre Sabatier, Arnaud Mangeret, Alkiviadis Gourgiotis, Pierre Le Pape, Anne-Lise Develle, Pascale Louvat, Olivier Diez, Jean-Louis Reyss, Jerome Gaillardet, Charlotte Cazala, Guillaume Morin
Summary: The study investigated the U accumulation processes in Lake Negre sediments over the past 9200 years and found that U accumulation was influenced by climatic variations and sediment inputs, with U fluxes controlled by U scavenging in watershed soils.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Bolou Emile Bolou-Bi, Arnaud Legout, Hjalmar Laudon, Pascale Louvat, Benoit Pollier, Jerome Gaillardet, Kevin Bishop, Stephan J. Kohler
Summary: The study used stable Mg isotopes to identify potential sources of base cations in stream water in the Krycklan catchment in Sweden. Results show that magnesium in the streamwater mainly derives from groundwater, with a significant contribution during snowmelt periods. Open field rain dominates during spring floods and larger summer and autumn rainfall events. Soil solution input also contributes significantly to magnesium fluxes in streamwater.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Xu (Yvon) Zhang, Jerome Gaillardet, Laurie Barrier, Julien Bouchez
Summary: Marine authigenic clay formation is an important process in explaining the mass budgets of certain elements in seawater and can neutralize atmospheric acidity. However, direct investigations into reverse weathering have been limited due to sampling challenges. This study uses a combination of three isotope systems to provide evidence of authigenic clay formation in sediments from a 40-million-year-old delta complex in Spain, revealing potential effects of reverse weathering.
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Geology
William Rapuc, Fabien Arnaud, Pierre Sabatier, Flavio S. Anselmetti, Andrea Piccin, Laura Peruzza, Antoine Bastien, Laurent Augustin, Edouard Regnier, Jerome Gaillardet, Ulrich Von Grafenstein, Kyle Straub
Summary: The sedimentary processes in the deep basin of large peri-Alpine lakes have not been extensively studied on long timescales. By analyzing the sediment section retrieved from Lake Iseo, it was found that event deposits accounted for 61.4% of the total sedimentation in the past 2000 years. The heterogeneity in textures, colors, and grain-size distribution can be explained by the numerous potential sources of sediment in this large lake system. Flood events were distinguished from slope destabilizations and delta destabilizations by combining proxies of sediment sources and transport processes. Major regional earthquake events were identified from the thickest mass wasting deposits. The study also revealed the influence of regional climatic fluctuations and human activities on sediment remobilization in the watershed, affecting the recording of extreme events in lacustrine archives.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Quentin Charbonnier, Julien Bouchez, Jerome Gaillardet, Damien Calmels, Mathieu Dellinger
Summary: This study reports the composition of barium isotopes in rivers with different contributions of black shale. The findings show that both dissolved and solid loads are enriched in heavy barium isotopes, indicating the influence of black shale weathering.
Article
Environmental Sciences
N. M. Fernandez, J. Bouchez, L. A. Derry, J. Chorover, J. Gaillardet, I Giesbrecht, D. Fries, J. L. Druhan
Summary: This study analyzes the stable silicon isotope ratios (δ30Si) of stream water samples from six catchments with different climates and lithologies to understand the variability of δ30Si in low-order catchments and the controls on Si chemical and isotopic signatures. The results show that δ30Si varies both within and across sites, with distinct signatures preserved even after normalization for bedrock composition. The combined model used in this study reveals that site-specific architecture regulates stream silicon export signatures.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-BIOGEOSCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Q. Charbonnier, J. Bouchez, J. Gaillardet, E. Gayer, S. Porder
Summary: The role of biological cycling on the chemistry of rivers is not well understood. This study examines the difference between the elemental supply to catchments through rock degradation and the corresponding elemental riverine export for several elements in 20 major river catchments worldwide. The study finds that the riverine export of potassium and barium is lower than their estimated release from rock degradation, while the fluxes match for lithium and sodium. The difference between these two groups of elements suggests the influence of biological uptake on river chemistry. However, the depletion of potassium in rivers cannot be explained by the growth of biota or the export of organic matter, pointing to the need for further research on the cycle of rock-derived nutrients in the Critical Zone.
GEOCHEMICAL PERSPECTIVES LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Sylvain Pasquet, Jean Marcais, Jorden L. Hayes, Peter B. Sak, Lin Ma, Jerome Gaillardet
Summary: Weathering and erosion processes are essential for CZ evolution and availability of natural resources. This study proposes a novel workflow using near-surface geophysics to characterize the architecture of the deep CZ at a catchment scale on a volcanic tropical island, revealing complex weathering patterns.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Water Resources
Sandra Garcia, Pascale Louvat, Jerome Gaillardet, Syprose Nyachoti, Lin Ma
Summary: Using multiple isotope tracers, this study identified and quantified various anthropogenic and natural sources of salinity in the Rio Grande river, showing high spatial and temporal variability in the chemical and isotopic compositions. The combination of different isotope tracers helps to quantify the contributions of different salinity sources in different seasons along the Rio Grande, highlighting the importance of a multi-tracer approach in investigating complex river systems with diverse solute inputs.
FRONTIERS IN WATER
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Pierre Nevers, Julien Bouchez, Jerome Gaillardet, Christophe Thomazo, Delphine Charpentier, Laeticia Faure, Catherine Bertrand
Summary: This study utilized data from a highly instrumented active landslide observatory in the French Alps to investigate the contribution of different lithologies and chemical weathering mechanisms in the Sechilienne slope. Findings show that the instability creates conditions for the production of sulfuric acid, with a significant role of pyrite oxidation and remote gypsum dissolution affecting the chemistry of the waters. The study underscores the complex coupling between physical and chemical erosion and their impact on the carbon cycle and global climate, highlighting the need to distinguish between sulfite oxidation and gypsum dissolution as sources of sulfate ions in rivers, especially in mountain ranges.
EARTH SURFACE DYNAMICS
(2021)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Lingyu Zhang, Kristoffer Szilas
Summary: This study presents new petrological and geochemical data for the Narssaq Ultramafic Body (NUB) in the Itsaq Gneiss Complex of SW Greenland. The results indicate that the ultramafic rocks of NUB are not mantle residues, but instead represent crustal cumulates derived from high-Mg magmas.
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Rong Xu, Sarah Lambart, Oliver Nebel, Ming Li, Zhongjie Bai, Junbo Zhang, Ganglan Zhang, Jianfeng Gao, Hong Zhong, Yongsheng Liu
Summary: This study investigated the iron isotope compositions of Cenozoic basalts in Southeast China, finding significant variations related to different types of basalts and their respective sources.
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
C. J. Ebinger, Miriam C. Reiss, Ian Bastow, Mary M. Karanja
Summary: The East African rift system is formed above mantle upwellings and the formation of rifts is related to lithospheric thinning and magmatic activity. The amount of splitting varies spatially and the fast axes are predominantly parallel to the orientation of the rifts. Thick lithospheric modules have less splitting and different orientations, which may indicate mantle plume flow. Splitting rotates and increases in strength as it enters the rift zones, suggesting that the anisotropy is mainly present at shallow depths.
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Correction
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Ekaterina Rojas-Kolomiets, Owen Jensen, Michael Bizimis, Gene Yogodzinski, Lukas Ackerman
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Robert W. Nicklas, Igor S. Puchtel, Ethan F. Baxter
Summary: Oxygen fugacity is a fundamental parameter for understanding redox processes in igneous systems. This study compares the Fe-XANES oxybarometry method with the V-in-olivine method for evaluating fO(2) in MORB lavas. The results show that the V-in-olivine method is not applicable to samples with low MgO content, and that the majority of Archean komatiite sources have lower fO(2) than modern MORB.
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Chunfei Chen, Stephen F. Foley, Sebastian Tappe, Huange Ren, Lanping Feng, Yongsheng Liu
Summary: The volatile components CO2 and H2O play a major role in mantle melting and heterogeneity. In this study, Ca isotopes were used to trace the lithological heterogeneity in alkaline magmatic rocks. The results revealed the presence of K-richterite and carbonate components as the source of alkaline magmas with low delta 44/40Ca values. These findings highlight the importance of Ca isotopes as a robust tracer of lithological variation caused by volatiles in the Earth's upper mantle.
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Timothee Jautzy, Gilles Rixhon, Regis Braucher, Romain Delunel, Pierre G. Valla, Laurent Schmitt, Aster Team
Summary: Although the current approach to estimate catchment-wide denudation rates using only 10Be concentrations has made significant progress in geomorphology, this study argues for the inclusion of 26Al measurements and testing of steady-state assumptions in slow eroding, formerly glaciated landscapes. The study conducted measurements of both 10Be and 26Al in stream sediments from the Vosges Massif in France and found that elevation, slope, channel steepness, and precipitation were the primary factors controlling denudation rates. The study also revealed a significant relationship between the extent of past glaciation and the cosmogenic (un-)steadiness in the stream sediments.
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Erik van der Wiel, Douwe J. J. van Hinsbergen, Cedric Thieulot, Wim Spakman
Summary: Numerical models of Earth's mantle dynamics can predict the vigour and mixing of mantle flow, and the average slab sinking rates are an unexplored parameter that can provide intrinsic information on these characteristics. Through numerical experiments, it has been found that slab sinking rates are strongly correlated with mantle convection and mixing, and may explain geochemical observations from hotspot volcanoes.
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
