Abstract
In order to detect the source and controlling factors of hydrochemical ions in glacier meltwater-recharged rivers, the chemical characteristics of the river water, precipitation, and meltwater of the Dongkemadi River Basin, China, in 2014 (from May to October) were systematically analyzed, and combined with the hydrological and meteorological data. The results show that the hydrochemical pattern of the typical river was HCO3−-Ca2+. The most cations were Ca2+ and Mg2+, and the predominant anions were HCO3− and SO42−, in the river. The concentration of major ions and total dissolved solids (TDS) in the river water were much larger than that in the precipitation and meltwater. The TDS concentration was ordered: River water > precipitation > meltwater. The water-rock interaction and the dilution effect of the precipitation and meltwater on the runoff ions resulted in a negative correlation between the ion concentration of the river water and the river flow. The chemical ions of the river runoff mainly originated from rock weathering and the erosion (abrasion) caused by glacier movement. In addition, the contributions of different sources to the dissolved components of the Dongkemadi River were ordered: Carbonate (75.8%) > silicate (15.5%) > hydatogenic rock (5.7%) > atmospheric precipitation (3%), calculated by a forward geochemical model. And the hydrochemical weathering rates of carbonate and silicate minerals were 12.30 t·km−2·a−1 and 1.98 t·km−2·a−1, respectively. The CO2 fluxes, consumed by the chemical weathering of carbonate and silicate, were 3.28 × 105 mol·km−2·a−1 and 0.91 × 105 mol·km−2·a−1, respectively.
Highlights
According to the IPCC’s (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) Fifth Assessment Report, the global average temperature in the past 130 years has increased by 0.85 ◦ C [1]
Glacial-recharged river runoff is most sensitive to climate change, compared to the non-glacier river basins [4,5]
The analysis showed the that temperature had a dilution effect with of precipitation a low ion concentration
Summary
According to the IPCC’s (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) Fifth Assessment Report, the global average temperature in the past 130 years has increased by 0.85 ◦ C [1]. As one of the most sensitive and vulnerable areas of natural ecosystems, the average temperature of the Yangtze River source in China increased by 0.32 ◦ C·(10a)−1 during the past 50 years, which was much higher than the average increasing rate of China (0.18 ◦ C·(10a)−1 ) [2,3]. Glacial-recharged river runoff is most sensitive to climate change, compared to the non-glacier river basins [4,5]. There have been significant changes in alpine glaciers and river runoffs because of global warming Water 2018, 10, 1856 widely selected for research on terrestrial chemical erosion and biogeochemical cycle assessment [6], and had great significance for the development of hydrological chemical research in alpine regions.
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