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Laboratory-determined Phosphorus Flux from Lake Sediments as a Measure of Internal Phosphorus Loading
Published on: March 6, 2014
Combining multiple methods for provenance discrimination based on rare earth element geochemistry in lake sediment
Lingqing Wang1, Xiaoxiao Han1, Shiming Ding2
1Key Laboratory of Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
Rare earth elements (REEs) in Dongting Lake sediments reveal provenance and depositional history. The Yangtze River significantly influences sediment loads, with natural sources dominating but some anthropogenic inputs present.
Area of Science:
- Geochemistry and environmental science.
- Sedimentology and geochemistry.
- Aquatic geochemistry.
Background:
- Rare earth elements (REEs) in sediments provide insights into provenance and depositional history.
- Dongting Lake's sediment composition is influenced by various geological and anthropogenic factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the distribution, characteristics, and sources of REEs in Dongting Lake surface and core sediments.
- To apply geostatistics, PMF, DF, and PI methods for REE source apportionment.
- To understand the influence of the Yangtze River on Dongting Lake's sediment loads.
Main Methods:
- Geochemical analysis of REEs in sediment samples.
- Application of geostatistics for spatial analysis.
- Utilizing Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) model for source identification.
- Employing Discriminant Function (DF) and Provenance Index (PI) for source apportionment.
Main Results:
- Total REEs content averaged 197.95 μg/g, with Light REEs (LREEs) comprising over 90%.
- REEs showed strong spatial variation, higher in Eastern Dongting Lake, and varied vertically in core samples.
- PMF indicated natural sources as primary contributors, with some anthropogenic inputs.
- DF and PI results suggest the Yangtze River is the dominant source influencing Dongting Lake sediments.
Conclusions:
- REEs geochemistry is a valuable tool for tracing sediment provenance and transport in aquatic environments.
- The Yangtze River plays a significant role in supplying sediments to Dongting Lake.
- Understanding REE sources aids in sediment-related contaminant source apportionment.
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