An exploratory study to test sediments trapped by potholes in Bedrock Rivers as environmental indicators (NW Iberian Massif)

  1. Álvarez-Vázquez, Miguel Ángel
  2. De Uña-Álvarez, Elena
Revista:
Cuaternario y geomorfología: Revista de la Sociedad Española de Geomorfología y Asociación Española para el Estudio del Cuaternario

ISSN: 0214-1744

Ano de publicación: 2021

Volume: 35

Número: 1-2

Páxinas: 59-77

Tipo: Artigo

DOI: 10.17735/CYG.V35I1-2.89054 DIALNET GOOGLE SCHOLAR lock_openAcceso aberto editor

Outras publicacións en: Cuaternario y geomorfología: Revista de la Sociedad Española de Geomorfología y Asociación Española para el Estudio del Cuaternario

Resumo

The capacity of fluvial potholes to trap sediments, together with the geochemical analysis of their stored sediments for environmental assessment, is an overlooked research topic in small bedrock rivers. The present exploratory study is focused on this issue. It was developed in a small river over rock, in the inland territory of Galicia (NW Iberian Peninsula). The study started from an analysis of the inventoried fluvial potholes to identify suitable forms for sampling, and the collection of sediment samples within them. After this, the determination of the grain texture, mineralogy and content of major and trace elements in sediments were carried out. Potholes with maximum vertical depth from 25 cm to 1 m, located in central and sidewall sectors of the bedrock channel, provided the best conditions for sediment sampling. The sediments collected from six potholes showed predominance of coarse-medium grain size and sand fraction. The rough contents of the major and even trace elements are related with the nature of the more refractory minerals of the bedrock. An adequate sampling strategy, considering grain-size fractions, show potential to use trace elements as environmental indicators.

Información de financiamento

This research was partially financed by the project ?State of Geomorphological Heritage within the Thermal Surroundings of Ourense?, reference INOU15-02, funded by the Vicer-rectorado do Campus de Ourense (University of Vigo) and the Diputaci?n de Ourense. M.A. ?lvarez-V?zquez is supported by the Xun-ta de Galicia through the postdoctoral grant #ED481B-2019-066.

Financiadores

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