Ravi Sediment REE 1

8/13/2019 Ravi Sediment REE 1

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ravi-sediment-ree-1 1/14

Indian association of Hydrologists , Roorkee. LM-1492 S.N. 34!

Rare eart" ele#ents $R%%s& a'(ndance in t"e sedi#ents of )lakananda-*"agirat"i Ri+ers,

ar"al Hi#alayas

R..Saini and ./.0"akraani

eart#ent of %art" Sciences, Indian Instit(te of ec"nology Roorkee, Roorkee 24!!

5"one 6 791-1332-28:8:, ;a< 6 791-1332-23!:

%#ail 6 g=c(rfes>iitr.ernet.in

;or 0orresondence

?eat"ering and erosion in t"e (strea# anga Ri+er in t"e Hi#alayan terrain is

i#ortant 'eca(se of its significant control in t"e donstrea# sedi#ent c"aracteristics.

"e rare eart" ele#ents $R%%s& act as good tracers for t"e genesis of igneo(s and

associated rocks and as t"e na#e s(ggests, t"e rare eart" ele#ents $or lant"anide gro(&

are not really rare and #ake ( #ore t"an 2:: # in certain rocks 1 $ra(skof and

*ird, 199&. In t"e resent st(dy, rare eart" ele#ents distri'(tion in s(sended and 'ed

sedi#ents collected fro# t"e )laknanda and *"agirat"i ri+ers are resented. "e

fo(rteen R%%s s"o significant +ariations in t"eir a'(ndances conse@(ent (on

eat"ering rocesses.

The study area include the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers (headwaters of the Ganga

river), located in the Himalayan region of Uttarakhand State The Alaknanda and Bhagirathi

rivers confluence at !ev"rayag, from where the Ganga (also refereed as #Ganges$) river takes

its formal name The Alaknanda and Bhagirathi river %asins occu"y an area of a%out &'&*+

km u"to -ishikesh, where the Ganga river enters into the "lain lands Alaknanda river

originates from the snout of the Sato"anth and the Bhagirathi kharak glaciers, which rises

from the .haukham%a /ountain, whereas the Bhagirathi -iver originates from Gomukh

mailto:[email protected]





(+'*m), the snout of Gangotri glacier 0t descends down to the Gangotri valley to !ev"rayag,

where the main stream of the Ganga is formed after the confluence of the Bhagirathi -iver

and the Alaknanda -iver (1ig &) The Alakananda -iver originates in the Higher Himalayas,

and drains through car%onates, massive 2uart3ites, slates, "hyllites and greywackes The

Bhagirathi river originates in the Higher Himalayas, and drains "redominantly 2uart3ites,

dolomitic limestones and meta%asic formations (Sarin et al, &'') /ore than thirty five sites

were selected to collect sus"ended and %ed sediment sam"les during 4uly **5 (1ig&)

Sus"ended sediments were se"arated from large volume water sam"les %y filtering through

*65 7m .ellulose 8itrate /em%rane 1ilters

Acid digestions of the sediment loaded /illi"ore filters were "erformed in 9T1:

vessels using ultra "ure H8;+, H.l;6 and H1 The residues were re<dissolved in H8; + and

diluted with H; to a final volume of 5* ml To determine ma=or o>ide com"ositions in

sediments %y ?<-ay 1luorescence (?-1) s"ectrosco"y, the dried sediments (%ulk) were

"owdered (@** mesh) using hand grinder "ulveriser, organic matter was removed and "ellets

were "re"ared using "ressure disks and %oric acid as %inder



-are :arth :lements (-::s) in the %ed and sus"ended sediments were measured %y 0.9</S

after addition of an indium internal standard solution -unning the SG- and /AG<& riverine

standards assessed the accuracy of the analyses

The sus"ended sediments in the river are mostly medium<to<coarse silt (mean si3e @

65 to 55 ) and are "oorly sorted The clay minerals a%undance in the sediments are /ica

followed %y Caolinite in the u"stream and mica followed %y Smectite in the downstream

region (.hakra"ani et al.&''5) 9hysical weathering intensity is reflected in the mineral

com"ositions in the sus"ended sediments, which are dominated, %y 2uart3 and micaD0llite

;ig. 1 Study area including drainage network and sediment sam"ling

locations in the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi -iver Basin



Eede"ohl estimated that the u""er crust consists of a""ro>imately &F %y volume of

2uart3, 6&F "lagioclase and &F "otassium felds"ar 1elds"ars are %y far the most a%undant

of the reactive (la%ile) minerals conse2uently the dominant "rocess during chemical

weathering of the u""er crust is the degradation of felds"ars and concomitant formation of

clay minerals .alcium, sodium and "otassium generally are removed from the felds"ars %y

aggressive soil solutions so that the "ro"ortion of alumina to alkalis ty"ically increases in the

weathered "roduct A good a""roach to 2uantify the e>tent of chemical weathering is through

the calculation of chemical inde> of alteration, .0A, (8es%itt and oung, &'I) defined asJ

0I)AB)l2C3D)l2C3 7 Na2C 7 2C 70aCE F1::

The .0A values are calculated using the molar concentrations of the o>ides, where

.a;K %eing the concentration of .a; derived only from silicate fraction of the rock A

correction is made for the car%onate and a"atite content The resultant value is a measure of

the "ro"ortion of Al;+ versus the la%ile o>ides in the analysed sam"le As weathering

"rogresses, the more la%ile cations such as 8a, .a and /g would %e released from the source

rocks, there%y de"leting their concentrations in the residual material 0n contrast, the less

mo%ile elements such as Al, 1e and Ti concentrations would increase in the residue Thus,

with increase in silicate weathering, the ratio would increase, ultimately reaching the limiting

value of &** Ty"ical .0A values for some common rocks and rock forming minerals are

given in a'le 1 (8es%itt and oung, &'I)



a'le 1 0I) +al(es for so#e co##on rocks and rock for#ing #inerals

MineralsDRocks 0I) +al(es9yro>ene *<&*

Horn%lende &*<+*

1resh %asalt +*<65All felds"ars (Unaltered Al%ite, anorthite and "otassic felds"ar) 5*

Biotite 5*<55

Granites, granodiorites 65<55

/uscovites 5

0llite and Smectite 5<I5

Caolinite, Gi%%site and .hlorite L&**

The changes in .0A reflect change in "ro"ortion of felds"ar and the various clay

minerals in the sediments Ta%le gives the concentrations and .0A values of various o>ides

in %ed sediments at different locations ;ig(re 2 is a %ar diagram of .0A value of sediments

analysed in this study with the reference line that of the un<weathered granitesDgranodiorites

-are earth elements in the sedimentary rocks are mostly terrigeneous and reveal the

source rock com"osition reflecting the -:: distri%ution in the e>"osed continental crust

(/cMennan, &'I')

0

20

40

60

80

100

A S 1

A S 3

A S 5

A S 7

A S 9

A S 1 1

A T S 1

A T S 3

A T S 5

B S 2

B S 4

B S 6

B S 8

B S 1 0

B T S 2

B T S 4

G S 2

C I A

;ig. 2 A %ar diagram of .0A values of sediments in Alaknanda, Bhagirathi and Ganga

sam"les including their tri%utaries



a'le 2 /a=or o>ides in the river %ed sediments

S. 0ode Location Strea# LCI Na2C MgC )l2C3 SiC2 52C 2C MnC 0aC iC20I)

AS& /anna Alaknanda *I' 6&+ *66 &*I I'& *& ++I **+ *I' *& +

AS 9andukeshwar Alaknanda 6I +&I *'* ''I 5' *+* ** &6 * +'

AS6 Birahi Alaknanda &* *'6 & 66 5'' *& &I **5 I*' *I 5AS Caran"rayag Alaknanda &'+ '*' 5I *+& 6+ ** 5 *6& 5*

ASI -atura Alaknanda 65 &66 & 'I* +6& *& 6 **6 6* *6+ 5

AS&* Srinagar Alaknanda 5*5 &55 I& && '& ** '5 **5 5 *5+ 5'

AS&& !ev"rayag Alaknanda 5&* &'& *+ I& 6+ *I *' ** +&+ *+ 6'

ATS Nishnu"rayag !hauliganga

ATS5 Caran"rayag 9inder 6 &* +& 6' +5 *&I **5 5* *I 6'

BS& Gangotri Bhagirathi +5* +I *I &*I 5&* *+ ' **+ && ** +I

BS+ Harsil Bhagirathi 5* + &* &* &6& * +*+ **+ &+ *+ 6*

BS5 !a%rani Bhagirathi + +&' *'+ &*& &++ *I I' **+ &6* * +'

BS /alla Bhagirathi 55 + &+I &*&I &56 *&5 I* ** &5 *+ 6&

BS /aneri Bhagirathi 5I* I &5 &*I I6 *66 6 *&& & *6+ 6&

BSI Uttarkashi Bhagirathi +I5 5 *I &&*+ *& * '+ **I &6 *6 65BS' !unda Bhagirathi 6' &I& +'5 '+* &5 *' '' **5 &I& *+' 5*

BS&* !harasu Bhagirathi I*+ & 5 &&+6 5 *+ +* ** &6 *6I 6

BS&& !ev"rayag Bhagirathi &*5' + &I& '* 5*I *+& & **5 &I *6& 6

BTS+ Gangori Asiganga 65 *5 I' & *6 & *&* * *5+ 6'

BTS5 Ghansyali Bhilangana 65' &' &I '* +& *65 5' *&& & *+6 6'

GS& Shiv"uri Ganga '5' * 6 I*6 ' *+ &' ** ++ *+I 6

GS Ma>man=hula Ganga 6 *5 I &*6* '+6 *' I **5 * *6 5&

By com"aring the concentration of -:: in sam"les of relative origin, it is "ossi%le to

trace some of the "rocesses res"onsi%le in the geochemical evolution of the sam"les %y

following changes in -:: distri%ution Eater rock interaction, es"ecially at low tem"erature

is unlikely to cause su%stantial change in -:: distri%ution in all sediments Hence, the -::s

are insolu%le with e>tremely low concentration in dissolved form in river and are mainly

trans"orted and de"osited as detrital material in the river %asins (-amesh et al. ***) To

check the accuracy and "recision of the measurements, reference materials (B.-<&, USGS

standard) were also analysed The concentration of -::s measured in various surficial

sediments, %ed sediments and in dissolved form in the Alaknanda, Bhagirathi and Ganga

-iver at different locations given in ta'le 3 .oncentrations of sus"ended sediments -::s are



e>tremely low The O-::s varies from + (AS) to &6+ (AS&+) µg g<&, && (BS) to 5I

(BSI) res"ectively for Alaknanda, Bhagirathi %asin, whereas, in Ganga sam"le at -ishikesh

O-::s does not e>ceed ''* (GS+*) µg g<& The same in %ed sediments are, 6 (AS&)<&

(AS) µg g<&, 6* (BS&) to '&&(BS) µg g<& and 6** (GS) µg g<& res"ectively in the

Alaknanda, Bhagirathi and Ganga as com"are to &5+ µg g<& of the 8AS. (Taylor and

/cMennan, &''5) Solu%ility e>"eriments conducted %y !e%erdt et al (&''I) indicate that, in

the "H range of natural solutions (5<'), the free ions Ma+P and Gd+P are the dominant s"ecies

%etween 5 to &5Q. A""lication of fertili3ers, nuclear "lant accidents and neo<forming soil

"rocesses also enrich -:: concentrations (/artin and /c.ulloch &''' Au%ert et. al, **)

The concentrations of 8d and Sm in our study $;ig. 3 ), * and 0& are very low, similar to

Ama3on and /ississi""i rivers (Goldstein and 4aco%sen, &'II) The 8AS.<normali3ed -::

"atterns of river water river%ed sediment are "lotted in ;ig. 3), * and res"ectively for

Alaknanda, Bhagirathi and ;ig. 30 show com"arison with other world$s rivers The (MaD%) 8

ratios lie %etween **6<*I' indicating H-:: enrichment in dissolved load H-::

enrichment is also more in dissolved load com"ared to sus"ended load (C MaD% given as,

(MaD%)dissD(MaD%)sus" AlaknandaR *&+ BhagirathiR *+5 and -ishikesh R *) which shows

H-::s go into solution more easily This 1igure indicates that sus"ended materials derived

from rocks of young model age tend to have lower MaD% than sus"ended materials derived

from older rocks There is also de"letion in :u in sus"ended sediments $;ig 4 ), * and 0&

unlike the Caveri flood "lains $Sing" and Ra=a#ani, 2::1&, which show :u enrichment as

the sediments are derived "redominantly from mantle<derived Archean granulitic rocks

-amesh et al (***) o%served negative :u anomalies in most of the sediments from the

Ganga<Brahma"utra river systems e>ce"t a few locations where :u enrichment was due to



"lagioclase felds"ar rich source rocks To a large degree the -::s in the "resent study reflect

the dominance of car%onate rock weathering source Goldstein et al, (&''I)



a'le 3 .oncentrations of -::s in the Sus"ended and Bed sediments of the Alaknanda<Bhagirathi -ivers

)laknanda #ainstrea# ). ri'(taries *"agirat"i #ainstrea# *. ri'(taries anga

St. code )S1 )S2)S

)S!)S8

)S9 )S1: )S11 )S2 ) S *S1 *S3 *S *S! *S *S8 *S9 *S1: *S11 *S4 *S S1 S2

R%% concentration in s(sended sedi#ent, all data in gDg

La &' I *' 5+ ++ +5* &5+ 5++ &'+'' &'+ &5+ &*+ & 5&' 6 ''& &'+ &+'* &5 6

0e 5*6 &5 *I+ 6& 555 6++5 +&'& &5I I'65' +5*+5 +*&& 6*+ +& &*6 '5 &I5 ++' 5'' ++& 65*'

Nd &I5 I *+5 5* **' &' &5 5** &&65 &5 &6 '& &6& 6' + '+ &6& &&5& &* &''+

S# *5 &' *&& *6 6&& +' +&' &+' +6+' +6*6 +* ' +*' &+ &*+ * 5 *I +

%( *& &&5 * *6 *I& *& *56 **+ &56 *&* &*5 *56 &* *&6 *5& ** I&* *6I *I& &*II

d *6+ &+5 **I ** 65 + + I+ 5' +' *6 &*& & &+I 6* +5 &+ +'5

y *5 &I+ *++ *'+ 5 II &65 *I &5 *6 * &I &* &6 &&' &&6 &5 &5'&

%r *I *I *5 *66 &* &* & * &+&+ *'+ *I *'* *'' *5 *I* *& + *6I &*

G' * *+ *5 *+5 *& * *'+ *6' &*& *55 *56 *5 *& *+ *5 *65 5&' *+* *+ 6

L( **' **I ** *& *&& **5 * **' *I *&&+ **6 ** *&& **5 *&& **I *I6 **6 *&* *5'

LR%%

HR%%

'6

&

+I

5I

&5I

&5&&I

'&

'''I

'5

'*+&

I6

*&5

I6

+++

6'5

&I6&

&6&

+II

I

'I

*

66

6

55I

+5

+6

&5'+

5&

+'&I

66

'*5

5

5+6I

6'

5*I6

*+

''

66

St. code )S1 )S2)S

)S!)S8

)S9 )S1: )S11 )S2 ) S *S1 *S3 *S *S! *S *S8 *S9 *S1: *S11 *S4 *S S1 S2

R%% concentration in 'ed sedi#ent, all data in gDg

La 565 66I 6&5 &6 + 55' +5 &5& +6 II+6 *& &66' 66&& I& **6 65+ &*I 6&& 6+ '+

0e &*6I 5*5 I*+ +665 6 +* *I& 55+ 5 &5I& &I' +' 6*I& *I6I &5 &66 &&I5 +*' &*5 & +II6 &I+*

Nd 66 *' +66* &6I &+ 5+& +*& &+& I +* 5'& &&+ &+ ' + +&& 55 56& &*&+ 56*& I ''

S# &* 66 56* 6& &5 6* +' 5*& &* &*56 &I5 6*+ &6' &I ' '*I &&I I6 &*'& &+&&

%( &+ & +55 & & &'6 '6 + I 5 5+' 65 ''I ' 5'6 5I 5'6 +' 5' &6 *

d *'+ 6* +I '' 5+ 'I 5&+ 6' 5 &&66 '+6 &''+ +6 &+ &6*6 &&6 && & '5 &5& &+*



y &6& 56+ ++ &&& *I &*+ +'+ ' ' &*'' '&+ &&5 &'5* &+* '5 + * &55 * I& &*+&

%r &* +5I &I *5& *'5 *6 I' *& &6 I& 55I &*+ &I '&6 6* + +5I &*5 5* 5* &'

G' &5& +6I &I& *6 *'* *6* +5* &+' '& 5I 'I &&I ' +* 5' '5 '5* *+ 6* *6

L( *I+ *' *5 *5& *5 *5I & &*I * 5 * * '' '6 &*I &+ &6 5+ + &5+ &''

LR%%

HR%%

&+

5&&*6

*5'

&&I

&I56

I6

I+

&I6&

&55

+55

+'

&6++

&'&

'6&5

&I'I

&+5'

&6'+

++5

6I&

I

+&6

56'&

5+

I'6

I+65

6+5

5I

++*+

+I5&

&+

+&&

6*

+5

6&65

*6

66+

+*

I*

&&'

+55*'

6+'



(A)

0.00.40.81.21.62.02.4

2.83.23.6

La Ce Nd Sm Eu Gd Dy E !" Lu # $ E E % B e d . & #

$ E E %

N A S C

ABS2 ABS3 ABS4

ABS8 ABS9 ABS10

ABS12 ABS13

(B)

0.0

3.0

6.0

9.0

La Ce Nd Sm Eu Gd Dy E !" Lu # $ E E % B e d

& # $ E E % N A S C

BBS14 BBS17 BBS18 BBS19 BBS20BBS21 BBS22 BBS23 BBS24 BBS25BBS26 BBS28 BBS27

(C)

0.00

2.00

4.00

6.00

La Ce Nd Sm Eu Gd Dy E !" Lu # $ E E %

B e d

& # $ E E % N A S C

A'a ada B*a+,a-*, Ga+a

Idu /,,,,

;ig. 3 8orth American Shale .om"osite (8AS.) normali3ed -:: a%undances in river%ed

sediments (A) Alaknanda, (B) Bhagirathi and (.) A com"arison %etween Alaknanda,



Bhagirathi, Ganga and other world rivers /ost of the sam"les have strongly light -::

enriched "atterns

(A)

0.4

0.0

0.4

0.8

1.2

La Ce Nd Sm Eu Gd Dy E !" Lu

# $ E E % S u

& # $ E E % N A S C

ASS2 ASS3 ASS4 ASS6

ASS8 ASS10 ASS11 ASS12

(B)

0.4

0.0

0.4

0.8

1.2

1.6

2.0


# $ E E % S

u

& # $ E E % N A S C

BSS14 BSS17 BSS18 BSS19 BSS20

BSS21 BSS23 BSS24 BSS25 BSS26

(C)

0.00

1.00

2.00

3.00


# $ E E % S u

& # $ E E % N A S C

A'aada B*a+,a-*, Ga+a

Idu Ama /,,,,

;ig. 4 8orth American Shale .om"osite (8AS.) normali3ed -:: a%undances in river

sus"ended loads (A) Alaknanda, (B) Bhagirathi and (.) A com"arison %etween Alaknanda,



Bhagirathi, Ganga and other world rivers /ost of the sam"les have strongly light -::

enriched "atterns

R%;%R%N0%S

& )('ert, ., Stille, 5., 5ro'st, )., a(t"ier-Lafaye, ;., 5o(rcelot, L. and Nero,

M.. $2::2& .haracterisation and migration of atmos"heric -:: in soils and surface

waters Geochim.osmochimActa !!$19&J +++'<++5*

0"akraani, ./., S('ra#anian, ., i''s, R./. and /"a, 5.. $199) Si3echaracteristics and mineralogy of sus"ended sediments of the Ganges -iver, 0ndia J.

Environ. Geol. 2J &'<&'

+ e'erdt, S., 0astet, S., and(rand, /.L., Harric"o(ry /.0. and Lo(iset,I. $1998&

:>"erimental study of Ma(;H)+ and G!(;H)+ solu%ilities (5 to &5**.) and Ma<acetate

com"le>ing (5 to I**.) .hemGeol 11J+6'<+

6 %lderfield, H., still-oddard, R. and S"olko+itJ, %.R. $199:& The rare earth

elements in rivers, estuaries, and coastal seas and their significance to the com"osition

of ocean waters Geochim .osmochim Acta 4J '&''&

5 aillardet, /., (re, *., )llegre, 0./., Negrel, 5. $199& .hemical and "hysical

denudation in the Ama3on -iver %asin .hem Geol 142J &6&&+

oldstein, S4 and 4aco%sen, SB $1988& -are earth elements in river waters Earth.

Planet. Sci. Lett. 89J+5<6

Crausko"f and Bird, (&''5)

I Martin, 0.%., and Mc0(lloc", M.. $1999& 8d<Sr isoto"ic and trace element of

river sediments and soils in a fertili3ed catchment, 8ew South Eales, Australia

Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta. !3$2&J I<+*5

' McLennan, S.N. $1989& -are earth elements in sedimentary rocksJ 0nfluence of

"rovenance and sedimentary "rocesses -ev /in 21J&&<**

&* Nes'itt, H.?. and Go(ng, . M. $1982& :arly 9rotero3oic climates and "lates

motions inferred from ma=or elememnt chemistry of lutites Nature, 299J &5<&



&& Ra#es", R., Ra#anat"an, ).L., Ra#es", S., 5(r+a=a, R. and S('ra#anian, .

$2:::& !istri%ution of rare earth elements and heavy metals in surficial sediments of

the Himalayan river system Geochem. J. 34J'5<+&'

& Sarin, M.M., ris"nasa#i, S., S"ar#a, .. and ri+edi, /.R. $1992& Uranium

isoto"es and radium in the Bhagirathi<Alaknanda river systemJ :vidence for high

uranium mo%ili3ation in the Himalaya Curr. Sci., !26 I*&<I*5

13. $Sing" and Ra=a#ani, 2::1&,

&6 aylor, S.R. and McLennan, S.M. $199& The geochemical evolution of the

continental crust Rev. Geophys. 33J 6&<5

&5 iers, /., (re, *., *ra(n, /./., e'erdt, S., )ngeletti, *., Ngo(ayo(, /. N. and

Mic"ard, ). $2:::& /a=or and trace element a%undances and strontium isoto"es in

the 8yong %asin rivers .ameroonJ constraints on chemical weathering "rocesses and

elements trans"ort mechanisms in humid tro"ical environments Chemical Geology,

1!9J &&<6&

Ravi Sediment REE 1

Documents

Transcript of Ravi Sediment REE 1