Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
The active collision zone around Taiwan orogen receives a variety of sedimentary inputs, including terrigenous flux from Taiwan and Chinese rivers, oceanic currents and atmospheric dust. In order to determine the present-day respective contributions of these different sources, we analysed the Pb and Sr isotopic compositions of late Quaternary sediments accumulated offshore east Taiwan. Samples from the Taiwan Coastal Range (andesites, sandstones, conglomerate and Peinan River terraces and suspended loads) have also been analysed to constrain the mean Taiwan isotopic signature. Mixing lines between the different sources of material indicate that the core located in the Okinawa Trough represents a mixture of about 60% of Taiwan, 30% of Chinese Loess and 10% of Yangtze River contributions. The southernmost core, located close to Luzon Are, is influenced by Taiwan (60%) and volcanic material (40%). The Sr and Pb isotopic compositions of samples cored in the Manila Trench and in the Huatung Basin are strongly influenced by the Taiwan signature, while the Ryukyu Trench core samples point to significant but variable contributions of Chinese Loess and Yangtze River. This work also reports Zn isotopic variations in the silicate fraction of these marine core samples. The overall variation in Zn isotopic compositions (expressed as 666 Zn) is greater than 0.3 per mil (parts per thousand) for an analytical precision of +/- 0.05 parts per thousand. The Zn isotopic signal for most of the marine core samples is similar to the literature data measured on sedimentary material, except for the Manila Trench core samples and the older sample from the Huatung Basin: they present values heavier by 0.2-0.3 parts per thousand, close to those obtained on all Taiwan rocks and Peinan River particulates. These results show: 1- the particular characteristics of Taiwan Zn isotopic compositions on a large scale; and: 2- the possible use of Zn isotopes as a tracer of material sources.
ISSN: 0009-2541

hal-00412214
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00412214
DOI : 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2007.10.024

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD
Résumé : International audience
In the context of climate change, this study presents the ability of major/trace elements together with strontiumisotopes to trace back water paths at small scale and to deconvolve the geochemical signal of a small watershedsubject to intense flash floods episodes (Peyne, Hérault, France). Two small sub-basins draining distinct lithologiesin their heads (Plio-Villafranchian conglomerate versus Triassic gypsum-rich marls and dolomites) and the sameMiocene lithology downstream are investigated.Major elements and Ca/Na vs. Mg/Na ratios classically applied at large scale to distinguish carbonate from silicateweathering, allow here discriminating the three main lithologies from the two sub-basins. Trace elements Rband Sr coupled to calcium, also allow this lithological discrimination but in addition the Ca/Rb vs. Sr/Rb tracersappear to be much more discriminant for the various hydrological conditions. Thus, in combination with detailedlithological descriptions, they allow identifying the different facies that imprint the water signature through water-rock interaction according to the hydrological conditions.Strontium isotopes and Rb/Sr ratio, discriminate more precisely the drained lithologies of the 2 sub-basins. Firstly,the 87Sr/86Sr ratios allow identifying the nature of the lithologies and their main component(s) contributing to theSr budget in water and thus imprint the isotopic signature. Secondly, Sr isotopes evidenced two distinct Miocenefacies: the detritric faction (sandy marls), and the marine carbonates.The geochemical signatures of the brook samples draining both compartments were compared to the signatureof the Peyne River outlet just before the confluence into the Hérault River. It appears that the signature of thePeyne River, integrating all the water draining the basin, is relatively stable whatever the hydrological conditionsand mainly marked by the Miocene formations. Sr isotopes further highlight that this signature seems to resultfrom the mixing of both Miocene facies present in the lower part of the Peyne watershed, i.e. the sandy marls andthe carbonates. The typical signatures of the Plio-Villafanchian conglomerates and Triassic gypsiferous marls anddolomites of the headwaters of each sub-basin are completely hidden by the Miocene signatures. This should berelated to the large drainage area of the Miocene compared to other lithologies, despite the high solubility of thegypsum formations releasing large quantities of dissolved elements in solution.Understanding water paths at small scale is even more efficient when the geochemical approach is coupled with adetailed geological description. Indeed, the geochemical tracers are extremely dependent on the facies sequences(morphology) and of the soil nature (mineralogical composition), this is particularly sensitive at small scale.In the context of climate change increasing the intensity of rain events in the Mediterranean region, and resultingin catastrophic floods events (flash floods), tracing the origin of water contributing to the runoff is of primaryimportance and this must be investigated at small scale. Geochemical and isotopic fingerprinting thus constituteexcellent tools which can help to define the area of interest to be monitored in the framework of flood forecast andwarning networks
EGU General Assembly 2015
Vienne, Austria

hal-01118622
https://hal-brgm.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01118622