Origin and composition of dissolved and particulate matter in mountain rivers of the Nepal Himalayas: Insights from Sr and Nd isotopes and elemental ratiosShow others and affiliations
2024 (English)In: Applied Geochemistry, ISSN 0883-2927, E-ISSN 1872-9134, Vol. 175, article id 106183Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
The Ganga River exhibits elevated concentrations of dissolved strontium (Sr) and a higher radiogenic Sr (Sr-87/Sr-86) among global rivers, which impacts oceanic Sr composition. This has implications for understanding weathering and sediment flux into open oceans. The Nepal Himalayan section is a significant part of the upstream Ganga River catchment. We analyzed Sr and Nd isotopes and major element concentrations in water and sediments to trace compositional and seasonal variability in dissolved and particulate matter. The Sr and Nd isotopes, in particular, are crucial in this study as they provide unique signatures that can be used to trace the origin and composition of the dissolved and particulate matter. Representative rivers draining monolithological terrains were selected to investigate the isotopic and elemental provenance and weathering intensity. The elemental ratios (Ca/Na, Mg/Na) indicate the watersheds are carbonate-rich terrains. The Lesser Himalaya (LH) rivers transport radiogenic Sr with high values compared to rivers draining the Tethyan Sedimentary Series (TSS), Higher Himalayan Crystalline (HHC), Mahabharat, and Siwalik Hills. The dry season records a higher Sr-87/Sr-86 ratio than the monsoon. Due to the faster dissolution of carbonates compared to silicates, monsoon waters transport less radiogenic Sr. The significant correlation of Sr-87/Sr-86 in dissolved and particulate phases signifies that short-term interactions between sediment and water may alter the Sr-87/Sr-86 composition. Notably, sediments originating from continental rocks exhibit an inverse correlation between Sr-87/Sr-86 and epsilon(Nd). In conclusion, the Sr and Nd isotopic records in this study categorize the fluvial catchments into geological clusters aligned with the TSS, LH, and Siwaliks, which advance our understanding regarding the provenance besides providing crucial insights into geological processes, weathering, landscape evolution, and sediment flux.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD , 2024. Vol. 175, article id 106183
Keywords [en]
Himalayan rivers; Strontium; Neodymium; Provenance; Silicates; Carbonates
National Category
Geochemistry
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-208432DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeochem.2024.106183ISI: 001324646900001OAI: oai:DiVA.org:liu-208432DiVA, id: diva2:1905469
Note
Funding Agencies|Vetenskapsrdet [2016-05642]
2024-10-142024-10-142025-04-24