[Biogeochemical processes of the major ions and dissolved inorganic carbon in the Guijiang River].

Authors:
  • WTWen-Kui Tang
    Wen-Kui Tang
  • QGQuan-Zhou Gao
    Quan-Zhou Gao
  • HMHai-Ruo Mao
    Hai-Ruo Mao
  • GJGuang-Hui Jiang
    Guang-Hui Jiang
  • XZXiong-Bo Zheng
    Xiong-Bo Zheng
  • QZQian-Zhu Zhang
    Qian-Zhu Zhang
  • ZMZan-Wen Ma
    Zan-Wen Ma
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  • 1 June 2014
    • journal article
Abstract
Within the drainage basin, information about natural processes and human activities can be recorded in the chemical composition of riverine water. The analysis of the Guijiang River, the first level tributary of the Xijiang River, demonstrated that the chemical composition of water in the Guijiang River was mainly influenced by the chemical weathering of carbonate rocks within the drainage basin, in which CO2 was the main erosion medium, and that the weathering of carbonate rock by H2SO4 had a remarkable impact on the water chemical composition in the Guijiang River. Precipitation, human activities, the weathering of carbonate rocks and silicate rocks accounted for 2.7%, 6.3%, 72.8% and 18.2% of the total dissolved load, respectively. The stable isotopic compositions of dissolved inorganic carbon (delta13C(DIC)) indicated that DIC in the Guijiang River had been assimilated by the phytoplankton in photosynthesis. The primary production of phytoplankton contributed to 22.3%-30.9% of particulate organic carbon (POC) in the Guijiang River, which implies that phytoplankton can transform DIC into POC by photosynthesis, and parts of POC will sink into the bottom of the river in transit, which leads into the formation of burial organic carbon.