Origin and cycling of riverine inorganic carbon in the Sava River watershed (Slovenia) inferred from major solutes and stable carbon isotopes

Abstract

The Sava River and its tributaries in Slovenia represent waters strongly influenced by chemical weathering of limestone and dolomite. The carbon isotopic compositions of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and suspended organic carbon (POC) fractions as well as major solute concentrations yielded insights into the origin and fluxes of carbon in the upper Sava River system. The major solute composition was dominated by carbonic acid dissolution of calcite and dolomite. Waters were generally supersaturated with respect to calcite, and dissolved CO2 was about fivefold supersaturated relative to the atmosphere. The δ13C of DIC ranged from −13.5 to −3.3‰. Mass balances for riverine inorganic carbon suggest that carbonate dissolution contributes up to 26%, degradation of organic matter ∼17% and exchange with atmospheric CO2 up to 5%. The concentration and stable isotope diffusion models indicated that atmospheric exchange of CO2 predominates in streams draining impermeable shales and clays while in the carbonate-dominated watersheds dissolution of the Mesozoic carbonates predominates.