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Seasonal Variation in the Mineralogy of the Suspended Particulate Matter of the Lower Changjiang River at Nanjing, China

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2024

Changping Mao ,
Jun Chen ,
Xuyin Yuan ,
Zhongfang Yang ,
William Balsam  and
Junfeng Ji
Changping Mao*
Affiliation:
Institute of Surficial Geochemistry, Department of Earth Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
Jun Chen
Affiliation:
Institute of Surficial Geochemistry, Department of Earth Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
Xuyin Yuan
Affiliation:
College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
Zhongfang Yang
Affiliation:
School of Earth Science and Resources, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
William Balsam*
Affiliation:
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, USA
Junfeng Ji
Affiliation:
Institute of Surficial Geochemistry, Department of Earth Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
*
* E-mail address of corresponding author: chpmao@nju.edu.cn
†Current address: 209 Camino de Santiago, Taos, New Mexico 87571, USA
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Abstract

The source and temporal changes of minerals transported by the world's large rivers are important. In particular, clay minerals are important in evaluating the maturity of suspended sediments, weathering intensity, and source area. To examine seasonal changes in mineralogical compositions of the Changjiang River (CR), suspended particulate matter (SPM) samples were collected monthly for two hydrological cycles in Nanjing city and then were studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), diffuse reflectance spectrophotometry (DRS), X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), and chemical analyses. The results indicate that the concentration of CR SPM ranges from 11.3 to 152 mg/L and is highly correlated to the rate of water discharge, with a greater concentration in flood season and lower concentrations during the dry season. CaO, MgO, and Na2O increase with increasing discharge whereas Al2O3 decreases sharply with increasing discharge. Dolomite, calcite, and plagioclase show strikingly similar seasonal variations and increase with increasing discharge with maximum concentrations in the flood season. In contrast, the clay mineral content exhibits the opposite trend with the lowest concentrations in the flood season. Illite dominates the clay minerals of the CR SPM, followed by chlorite, kaolinite, and smectite. Illite and kaolinite show distinctly seasonal variations; SPM contains more illite and less kaolinite during the flood season than during the dry season. The illite chemistry index and crystallinity, as well as kaolinite/illite ratio, all indicate intense physical erosion in the CR basin during the rainy season. Total iron (FeT) and highly reactive iron (FeHR) concentrations display slight seasonal changes with the smallest values observed during the flood season. Goethite is the dominant Fe oxide mineral phase in the CR SPM and hematite is a minor component, as revealed by DRS analyses. The FeT flux and FeHR flux are 2.786×106 T/y and 1.196×106 T/y, respectively.

Keywords

Changjiang RiverErosionMineralogySeasonalitySuspended Particulate Matter
Type
Article
Information
Clays and Clay Minerals , Volume 58 , Issue 5 , October 2010 , pp. 691 - 706
Copyright
Copyright © Clay Minerals Society 2010

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