Provenance, transport and storage of sediments in Amazon rivers

• Grant number: 11/06609-1
• Support type: Regular Research Grants
• Duration: July 01, 2011 - December 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Geosciences
• Principal Investigator: André Oliveira Sawakuchi
• Grantee: André Oliveira Sawakuchi
• Home Institution: Instituto de Geociências (IGC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo, SP, Brazil
• Assoc. researchers: Camila Cherem Ribas ; Carlos Henrique Grohmann de Carvalho ; Claudio Riccomini ; Cristiano Mazur Chiessi ; Emílio Alberto Amaral Soares ; Ilana Fichberg ; Janice Muriel Fernandes Lima da Cunha ; Lucy Gomes Sant'Anna ; Osvaldo Takeshi Oyakawa ; Paulo César Fonseca Giannini

Abstract

Understanding the factors controlling the origin, flux and fate of sediments through space and time is now an objective of the surface processes research. In this context, the Amazon region encompasses the major watershed (7,050,000 km2) of the Earth, forming a continental scale "source to sink" system. The tributaries of the Amazon River drain areas with different bedrock geology, tectonic regime, geomorphology, climate, vegetation and land use, producing high variability in the production and flux of sediments. The Quaternary evolution and the present dynamics of the Amazon rivers are related to many aspects of the Amazonia biodiversity, human activities such as hydroelectricity production, deforestation and land use. Many studies about the provenance, supply and storage of sediments in the major tributaries of the Amazon River focus on short timescales (days to few years). Few studies investigate the provenance and flux of sediments transported by Amazon Rivers during the Quaternary and considering the present knowledge about the Amazon geology, climate and biology and the current analytical techniques. This research proposal deals with the sediment provenance and supply within the Amazon watershed in the lower reach of three great tributaries: the Negro, Madeira and Xingu rivers. The Negro, Madeira and Xingu rivers supposedly have different sedimentary dynamics, delivering sediments with different characteristics to the Amazon River channel. The sediments in the lower portion of these three tributaries will be characterized through the analysis of inorganic and organic components using a multi-proxy approach (grain size, heavy minerals, clay minerals, luminescence, organic compounds and carbon isotopes, major chemical elements and radionuclides). These data will be evaluated under a geochronological-geological-geomorphological framework. We hope to improve the knowledge about how the Amazon Rivers work in a decadal to millennial timescale through the study of their Pleistocene and Holocene sedimentary record. This can give valuable information about the Amazon River dynamics, which is fundamental for a better understanding of distribution of animal species, carbon cycling, delivery of nutrients to the ocean and impacts of future climate change. Regarding the development of research methods, the luminescence sensitivity is a promise provenance proxy for terrigenous sediments. This project will be a robust test for this method. The scientific results will be disseminated through papers in journals, scientific conferences and outreach activities. (AU)

Scientific publications

(14)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

ZULAR, ANDRE; SAWAKUCHI, ANDRE OLIVEIRA; CHIESSI, CRISTIANO MAZUR; D'HORTA, FERNANDO MENDONCA; CRUZ, FRANCISCO WILLIAM; MELO DEMATTE, JOSE ALEXANDRE; RIBAS, CAMILA CHEREM; HARTMANN, GELVAM ANDRE; FONSECA GIANNINI, PAULO CESAR; AMARAL SOARES, EMILIO ALBERTO. The role of abrupt climate change in the formation of an open vegetation enclave in northern Amazonia during the late Quaternary. GLOBAL AND PLANETARY CHANGE, v. 172, p. 140-149, JAN 2019. Web of Science Citations: 0.

HOEPPNER, NATALIE; LUCASSEN, FRIEDRICH; CHIESSI, CRISTIANO M.; SAWAKUCHI, ANDRE O.; KASEMANN, SIMONE A. Holocene provenance shift of suspended particulate matter in the Amazon River basin. QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS, v. 190, p. 66-80, JUN 15 2018. Web of Science Citations: 0.

SAWAKUCHI, A. O.; JAIN, M.; MINELI, T. D.; NOGUEIRA, L.; BERTASSOLI, JR., D. J.; HAEGGI, C.; SAWAKUCHI, H. O.; PUPIM, F. N.; GROHMANN, C. H.; CHIESSI, C. M.; ZABEL, M.; MULITZA, S.; MAZOCA, C. E. M.; CUNHA, D. F. Luminescence of quartz and feldspar fingerprints provenance and correlates with the source area denudation in the Amazon River basin. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 492, p. 152-162, JUN 15 2018. Web of Science Citations: 0.

ZHANG, YANCHENG; CHIESSI, CRISTIANO M.; MULITZA, STEFAN; SAWAKUCHI, ANDRE O.; HAEGGI, CHRISTOPH; ZABEL, MATTHIAS; PORTILHO-RAMOS, RODRIGO C.; SCHEFUSS, ENNO; CRIVELLARI, STEFANO; WEFER, GEROLD. Different precipitation patterns across tropical South America during Heinrich and Dansgaard-Oeschger stadials. QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS, v. 177, p. 1-9, DEC 1 2017. Web of Science Citations: 5.

CHOUERI, ERIK L.; GUBILI, CHRYSOULA; BORGES, SERGIO H.; THOM, GREGORY; SAWAKUCHI, ANDRE O.; SOARES, EMILIO A. A.; RIBAS, CAMILA C. Phylogeography and population dynamics of Antbirds (Thamnophilidae) from Amazonian fluvial islands. Journal of Biogeography, v. 44, n. 10, p. 2284-2294, OCT 2017. Web of Science Citations: 1.

SUN, SHUWEN; SCHEFUSS, ENNO; MULITZA, STEFAN; CHIESSI, CRISTIANO M.; SAWAKUCHI, ANDRE O.; ZABEL, MATTHIAS; BAKER, PAUL A.; HEFTER, JENS; MOLLENHAUER, GESINE. Origin and processing of terrestrial organic carbon in the Amazon system: lignin phenols in river, shelf, and fan sediments. BIOGEOSCIENCES, v. 14, n. 9, p. 2495-2512, MAY 17 2017. Web of Science Citations: 2.

HAEGGI, CHRISTOPH; SAWAKUCHI, ANDRE O.; CHIESSI, CRISTIANO M.; MULITZA, STEFAN; MOLLENHAUER, GESINE; SAWAKUCHI, HENRIQUE O.; BAKER, PAUL A.; ZABEL, MATTHIAS; SCHEFUSS, ENNO. Origin, transport and deposition of leaf-wax biomarkers in the Amazon Basin and the adjacent Atlantic. GEOCHIMICA ET COSMOCHIMICA ACTA, v. 192, p. 149-165, NOV 2016. Web of Science Citations: 10.

ZHANG, YANCHENG; ZHANG, XU; CHIESSI, CRISTIANO M.; MULITZA, STEFAN; ZHANG, XIAO; LOHMANN, GERRIT; PRANGE, MATTHIAS; BEHLING, HERMANN; ZABEL, MATTHIAS; GOVIN, ALINE; SAWAKUCHI, ANDR O.; CRUZ, FRANCISCO W.; WEFER, GEROLD. Equatorial Pacific forcing of western Amazonian precipitation during Heinrich Stadial 1. SCIENTIFIC REPORTS, v. 6, OCT 25 2016. Web of Science Citations: 2.

VARELLA, H. R.; ZUANON, J.; KULLANDER, S. O.; LOPEZ-FERNANDEZ, H. Teleocichla preta, a new species of cichlid from the Rio Xingu Basin in Brazil (Teleostei: Cichlidae). Journal of Fish Biology, v. 89, n. 3, p. 1551-1569, SEP 2016. Web of Science Citations: 1.

SAWAKUCHI, HENRIQUE O.; BASTVIKEN, DAVID; SAWAKUCHI, ANDRE O.; WARD, NICHOLAS D.; BORGES, CLOVIS D.; TSAI, SIU M.; RICHEY, JEFFREY E.; BALLESTER, MARIA VICTORIA R.; KRUSCHE, ALEX V. Oxidative mitigation of aquatic methane emissions in large Amazonian rivers. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, v. 22, n. 3, p. 1075-1085, MAR 2016. Web of Science Citations: 14.

DE FARIA, FELIPE A. M.; JARAMILLO, PAULINA; SAWAKUCHI, HENRIQUE O.; RICHEY, JEFFREY E.; BARROS, NATHAN. Estimating greenhouse gas emissions from future Amazonian hydroelectric reservoirs. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS, v. 10, n. 12 DEC 2015. Web of Science Citations: 15.

SAWAKUCHI, HENRIQUE O.; BASTVIKEN, DAVID; SAWAKUCHI, ANDRE O.; KRUSCHE, ALEX V.; BALLESTER, MARIA V. R.; RICHEY, JEFFREY E. Methane emissions from Amazonian Rivers and their contribution to the global methane budget. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, v. 20, n. 9, p. 2829-2840, SEP 2014. Web of Science Citations: 40.

GOVIN, A.; CHIESSI, C. M.; ZABEL, M.; SAWAKUCHI, A. O.; HESLOP, D.; HOERNER, T.; ZHANG, Y.; MULITZA, S. Terrigenous input off northern South America driven by changes in Amazonian climate and the North Brazil Current retroflection during the last 250 ka. Climate of the Past, v. 10, n. 2, p. 843-862, 2014. Web of Science Citations: 22.

VARELLA, HENRIQUE R.; MOREIRA, CRISTIANO R. Teleocichla wajapi, a new species of cichlid from the rio Jari, Brazil, with comments on T. centrarchus Kullander, 1988 (Teleostei: Cichlidae). Zootaxa, v. 3641, n. 2, p. 177-187, APR 23 2013. Web of Science Citations: 2.