INVESTIGADORES
GAIERO Diego Marcelo
artículos
Título:
The geochemical characteristics of the Paran´a River
Autor/es:
PEDRO J. DEPETRIS,1* JEAN-LUC PROBST,2 ANDREA I. PASQUINI1 AND DIEGO M. GAIERO3
Revista:
HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES
Editorial:
Wiley InterScience
Referencias:
Año: 2003 p. 1267 - 1277
ISSN:
0885-6087
Resumen:
Most water in the Paran´a River drainage basin is supplied by the tropical Upper Paran´a (over 60% of the total annual
water discharge, 550 km3. The total suspended solids (TSS) load (c. 80 ð 106 t year1, however, is essentially
furnished (5070%) by the mountainous, arid and mostly sediment-mantled upper Bermejo River drainage basin. This
characteristic suggests that the Paran´a River solid load (TSS, 600 km upstream from the mouth) is largely recycled
sedimentary material, whose discharge-weighted mean chemical index of alteration is c. 71. The extended UCCnormalized
multi-elemental diagrams are similar to those of other world rivers. Nevertheless, the detailed inspection
of UCC-normalized rare earth element (REE) spidergrams reveals a lithological source for the Paran´a River TSS
that might be compatible with either tholeiitic flood basalts (widespread in the upper drainage) or with young Andean
intermediate volcanic rocks. In view of the Bermejo Rivers dominant role as a sediment contributor, we feel that the
signature preserved in the Paran´as TSS is the latter. Conversely, the Uruguay River TSS REE signature is certainly
determined by the extensive weathering products of JurassicCretaceous tholeiitic basalts. Copyright 2003 John
Wiley & Sons, Ltd.3. The total suspended solids (TSS) load (c. 80 ð 106 t year1, however, is essentially
furnished (5070%) by the mountainous, arid and mostly sediment-mantled upper Bermejo River drainage basin. This
characteristic suggests that the Paran´a River solid load (TSS, 600 km upstream from the mouth) is largely recycled
sedimentary material, whose discharge-weighted mean chemical index of alteration is c. 71. The extended UCCnormalized
multi-elemental diagrams are similar to those of other world rivers. Nevertheless, the detailed inspection
of UCC-normalized rare earth element (REE) spidergrams reveals a lithological source for the Paran´a River TSS
that might be compatible with either tholeiitic flood basalts (widespread in the upper drainage) or with young Andean
intermediate volcanic rocks. In view of the Bermejo Rivers dominant role as a sediment contributor, we feel that the
signature preserved in the Paran´as TSS is the latter. Conversely, the Uruguay River TSS REE signature is certainly
determined by the extensive weathering products of JurassicCretaceous tholeiitic basalts. Copyright 2003 John
Wiley & Sons, Ltd.c. 71. The extended UCCnormalized
multi-elemental diagrams are similar to those of other world rivers. Nevertheless, the detailed inspection
of UCC-normalized rare earth element (REE) spidergrams reveals a lithological source for the Paran´a River TSS
that might be compatible with either tholeiitic flood basalts (widespread in the upper drainage) or with young Andean
intermediate volcanic rocks. In view of the Bermejo Rivers dominant role as a sediment contributor, we feel that the
signature preserved in the Paran´as TSS is the latter. Conversely, the Uruguay River TSS REE signature is certainly
determined by the extensive weathering products of JurassicCretaceous tholeiitic basalts. Copyright 2003 John
Wiley & Sons, Ltd. 2003 John
Wiley & Sons, Ltd.