Effect of mining and related activities on the sediment trace element geochemistry of Lake Coeur D'Alene,Idaho, USA part II: Subsurface sediments

During the summer of 1990, 12 gravity cores were collected in Lake Coeur d'Alene, Idaho at various depths and in a variety of depositional environments. All core subsamples were analysed to determine the bulk sediment chemistry; selected subsamples were analysed for trace element partitioning and ¹³⁷Cs activity. The purpose of these analyses was to determine the trace element concentrations and distributions in the sediment column and to try to establish a trace element geochemical history of the lake in relation to mining and mining-related discharge operations in the area. Substantial portions of the near-surface sediments in Lake Coeur d'Alene are markedly enriched in Ag, As, Cd, Hg, Pb, Sb and Zn, and slightly enriched in Cu, Fe and Mn. Variations in the thickness of the trace element-rich sediments, which range from more than 119 cm to as little as 17 cm, indicate that the source of much of this material is the Coeur d'Alene River. An estimated 75 million tonnes of trace element-rich sediments have been deposited on or in the lake bed. Estimated trace element masses in excess of those considered representative of background conditions range from a high of 468 000 tonnes of Pb to a low of 260 tonnes of Hg. The similarity between the trace element-rich surface and subsurface sediments with respect to their location, their bulk chemistry, their interelement relations and their trace element partitioning indicate that the sources and/or concentrating mechanisms causing the trace element enrichment in the lake sediments have probably been the same through-out their depositional history. Based on a Mt St Helens'ash layer from the 1980 eruption, ages estimated from ¹³⁷Cs activity and the presence of 80 discernible and presumably annual layers in a core collected near the Coeur d'Alene River delta indicate that deposition rates for the trace element-rich sediments have ranges from 2.1 to 1.3 cm/year. These data also indicate that the deposition of trace element-rich sediments began, at least in the Coeur d'Alene River delta, some time between 1895 and 1910, dates consistent with the onset of mining and ore processing activities that began in the area in the 1880s.     

Effect of mining and related activities on the sediment trace element geochemistry of lake coeur D'Alene,idaho, USA. Part I: Surface sediments

During the summer of 1989 surface sediment samples were collected in Lake Coeur d'Alene, the Coeur d'Alene River and the St Joe River, Idaho, at a density of approximately one sample per square kilometre. Additional samples were collected from the banks of the South Fork of the Coeur d'Alene and the Coeur d'Alene Rivers in 1991. All the samples were collected to determine trace element concentrations, partitioning and distribution patterns, and to relate them to mining, mining related and discharge operations that have occurred in the Coeur d'Alene district since the 1880s, some of which are ongoing. Most of the surface sediments in Lake Coeur d'Alene north of Conkling Point and Carey Bay are substantially enriched in Ag, As, Cu, Cd, Hg, Pb, Sb and Zn relative to unaffected sediments in the southern portion of the lake near the St Joe River. All the trace element enriched sediments are extremely fine grained (mean grain sizes « 63 μm). Most of the enriched trace elements, based on both the chemical analyses of separated heavy and light mineral fractions and a two step sequential extraction procedure, are associated with an operationally defined Fe oxide phase; much smaller percentages are associated either with operationally defined organics/sulphides or refractory phases. The presence, concentration and distribution of the Fe oxides and heavy minerals indicates that a substantial portion of the enriched trace elements are probably coming from the Coeur d'Alene River, which is serving as a point source. Within the lake, this relatively simple point source pattern is complicated by a combination of (1) the formation of trace element rich authigenic Fe oxides that appear to have reprecipitated from material solubilized from anoxic bed sediments and (2) physical remobilization by currents and wind driven waves. The processes that have caused the trace element enrichment in the surface sediments of Lake Coeur d'Alene are likely to continue for the foreseeable future.     

Monitoring urban impacts on suspended sediment,trace element,and nutrient fluxes within the City of Atlanta,Georgia, USA: program design,methodological considerations,and initial results

Atlanta, Georgia (City of Atlanta, COA), is one of the most rapidly growing urban areas in the US. Beginning in 2003, the US Geological Survey established a long‐term water‐quantity/quality monitoring network for the COA. The results obtained during the first 2 years have provided insights into the requirements needed to determine the extent of urban impacts on water quality, especially in terms of estimating the annual fluxes of suspended sediment, trace/major elements, and nutrients. During 2004/2005, suspended sediment fluxes from the City of Atlanta (COA) amounted to about 150 000 t year^?1; ≥ 94% of the transport occurred in conjunction with storm‐flow, which also accounted for ≥ 65% of the annual discharge. Typically, storm‐flow averaged ≤20% of the year. Normally, annual suspended sediment fluxes are determined by summing daily loads based on a single calculation step using mean‐daily discharge and a single rating curve‐derived suspended sediment concentration. Due to the small and ‘flashy’ nature of the COAs streams, this approach could produce underestimates ranging from 25% to 64%. Accurate estimates ( ± 15%) require calculation time‐steps as short as every 2–3 h. Based on annual median base‐flow/storm‐flow chemical concentrations, the annual fluxes of ≥ 75% of trace elements (e.g. Cu, Pb, Zn), major elements (e.g. Fe, Al), and total P occur in association with suspended sediment; in turn, ≥ 90% of the transport of these constituents occur in conjunction with storm‐flow. As such, base‐flow sediment‐associated and dissolved contributions represent relatively insignificant portions of the total annual load. An exception is total N, whose sediment‐associated fluxes range from 50% to 60%; even so, storm‐related transport typically exceeds 80%. Hence, in urban environments, non‐point‐sources appear to be the dominant contributors to the fluxes of these constituents. Published in 2007by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

In situ zircon Hf isotopic, U-Pb age and trace element study of monzonite xenoliths from Pingquan and Fuxin basalts:Tracking the thermal events of 169 Ma and 107 Ma in Yanliao area

K-Ar ages of the Mesozoic (92-100 Ma) Fuxin alkalic basalts (western Liaoning Province) and the Tertiary (23-45 Ma) Pingquan alkalic basalts (eastern Hebei Province), and the results of in situ zircon U-Pb dating, Hf isotope and the trace elements from three monzonite xenoliths carried in the alkalic basalts are reported. The crust-mantle interaction occurring in the Yanshan intracontinental orogenic belt is also discussed. Fuxin zircons show highly uniform U-Pb age ((169±3) Ma). More than 95% Pingquan zircons display the age of (107±10) Ma except two are 2491 Ma and 513 Ma respectively. Zircons with the ages of (169±3) Ma have εHf close to zero. εHf of the zircons with the ages of (107±10) Ma are mainly at -11.5--16.3, showing the crustal derivation. Fuxin zircons contain low Nb, Ta, Sr, Th, U contents, low and narrow Hf model ages (0.87-1.00 Ga), which reflect that the source materials of the monzonite xenoliths are young to Pingquan (focus at (1.28±0.08) Ga). High contents of the incompatible elements, and wide range of Hf model ages (0.89-2.56 Ga) in Pingquan zircons suggest a more complex source and the highly crustal maturity in their petrogenesis. Comprehensive information including the published data indicates that J3-K1 is the key period of the deep processes and shallow tectonic reverse in the Yanliao area. However, the processes were highly heterogeneous in spatial and in temporal.     

Major and trace element geochemistry of neutral and acidic thermal springs at El Chichón volcano,Mexico: Implications for monitoring of the volcanic activity

Four groups of thermal springs with temperatures from 50 to 80 °C are located on the S–SW–W slopes of El Chichón volcano, a composite dome-tephra edifice, which exploded in 1982 with a 1 km wide, 160 m deep crater left. Very dynamic thermal activity inside the crater (variations in chemistry and migration of pools and fumaroles, drastic changes in the crater lake volume and chemistry) contrasts with the stable behavior of the flank hot springs during the time of observations (1974–2005). All known groups of hot springs are located on the contact of the basement and volcanic edifice, and only on the W–SW–S slopes of the volcano at almost same elevations 600–650 m asl and less than 3 km of direct distance from the crater. Three groups of near-neutral (pH ≈ 6) springs at SW–S slopes have the total thermal water outflow rate higher than 300 l/s and are similar in composition. The fourth and farthest group on the western slope discharges acidic (pH ≈ 2) saline (10 g/kg of Cl) water with a much lower outflow rate (< 10 l/s).     

The effect of mining and related activities on the sediment–trace element geochemistry of Lake Coeur d'Alene,Idaho, USA. Part III. Downstream effects: the Spokane River Basin

During 1998/1999, surface and subsurface sediment samples were collected along the entire length of the Spokane River from its outlet at the northern end of Lake Coeur d'Alene (CDA), Idaho, to Lake Roosevelt on the Columbia River, Washington. The study was conducted to determine if the trace element enrichments observed in Lake CDA and on the floodplain and in the CDA River extend through the Spokane River Basin (SRB). As in Lake CDA, surface sediments in the SRB are enriched in Pb, Zn, As, Cd, Sb and Hg relative to local background levels. Pb, Cd and Zn are the most elevated, with maximum enrichment occurring in the upper Spokane River in close proximity to Lake CDA. On average, enrichment decreases downstream, apparently reflecting both increased distance from the inferred source (the CDA River Basin), as well as increased dilution by locally derived but unenriched materials. Only Cd and Zn display marked enrichment throughout the SRB. Pb, Zn and Cd seem to be associated mainly with an operationally defined iron oxide phase, whereas the majority of the As and Sb seem to be matrix‐held. Subsurface sediments also are enriched in Pb, Zn, As, Cd, Sb and Hg relative to background levels. Based on ¹³⁷Cs and excess ²¹⁰Pb dating, trace element enrichment began in the middle part of the SRB (Long Lake) between 1900 and 1920. This is contemporaneous with similar enrichments observed in Lake CDA, as well as the completion of Long Lake Dam (1913). In the most downstream part of the basin (Spokane River Arm of Lake Roosevelt), enrichment began substantially later, between 1930 and 1940. The temporal difference in enrichment between Long Lake and the River Arm may reflect the latter's greater distance from the presumed source of the enrichment (the CDA River Basin); however, the difference is more likely the result of the completion of Grand Coulee Dam (1934–1941), which formed Lake Roosevelt, backed up the Spokane River, and increased water levels in the River Arm by about 30 m.