Articles | Volume 12, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-907-2024
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-907-2024
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19 Aug 2024
Research article | Highlight paper |  | 19 Aug 2024

Sourcing and long-range transport of particulate organic matter in river bedload: Río Bermejo, Argentina

Sophia Dosch, Niels Hovius, Marisa Repasch, Joel Scheingross, Jens M. Turowski, Stefanie Tofelde, Oliver Rach, and Dirk Sachse

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Latest update: 04 Oct 2024
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Many previous studies have examined the transfer of organic carbon in river systems within suspended sediment (fine particles carried in suspension making the water appear muddy etc..), however, few have looked at how much carbon is transported with bedload (coarser sand and pebbles that bounce along the base of the channel). This paper looks at the fluxes of carbon in the bedload and finds they are a far smaller percentage than that carried as suspended load, but may be more important for long term sinks or stores of carbon as they are more readily deposited in sediments that may become buried for a considerable period of time.
Short summary
The transport of plant debris in rivers is an important part of the global carbon cycle and influences atmospheric carbon levels through time. We sampled plant debris at the bed of a lowland river and determined the sources as it is transported hundreds of kilometers. Plant debris can persist at the riverbed, but mechanical breakdown reduces its amount, and it is only a small fraction compared to the suspended load. This plant debris and transport patterns need further investigation globally.