Response of the Changjiang (Yangtze River) water chemistry to the impoundment of Three Gorges Dam during 2010–2011

Wang, Xiaodan; Yang, Shouye; Ran, Xiangbin; Liu, Xiao Ming; Bataille, Clément P.; Su, Ni

doi:10.1016/j.chemgeo.2018.04.006

Cited by 27 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 121 publications

(198 reference statements)

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“…As discussed earlier, the dissolution of evaporitic rocks can provide Na + , Cl − , and SO4 2− . This trend is consistent with the geological background of the study area [34,57,58]. In addition, human activities (e.g., industrial production and irrigation) may also contribute to the concentration of [Na + + K + ] [5,81].…”

Section: Stoichiometry Of Weathering Processessupporting

confidence: 87%

“…The Three Gorges Dam (TGD), which intercepts the Changjiang River, is the largest dam-building project in the world [52][53][54]. The changes in the water chemistry of this basin have been constantly a concern for decades [55][56][57]. The data of the Changjiang River monitoring stations over 35 years were analyzed by Chen et al [58], who indicated the role of rock weathering in hydrochemistry could not be neglected.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Major Elements in the Upstream of Three Gorges Reservoir: An Investigation of Chemical Weathering and Water Quality during Flood Events

Wang

Han

et al. 2021

Water

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Rivers transport terrestrial matter into the ocean, constituting a fundamental channel between inland and oceanic ecosystem and affect global climate change. To reveal chemical weathering processes and environmental health risks during flood periods, water samples were collected in the upper reaches of Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) in 2020. HCO3− and Ca2+ were the most abundant anions and cations of the river water, respectively. The range of HCO3− concentration was between 1.81 and 3.02 mmol/L, while the mean content of Ca2+ was 1.03 mmol/L. The results of the Piper diagram and element ratios revealed that the river solutes were mainly contributed by carbonate weathering and gypsum-rich evaporite dissolution. A mass balance model indicated that the contribution order of sources to cations in the main channel (Yibin-Luzhou) was evaporites > carbonates > atmospheric input > silicates. The order in the Chongqing—Three Gorges Dam was carbonates > atmospheric input > evaporites > silicates. These results showed a lithologic control on hydrochemical characteristics. Most sampling sites were suitable for agricultural irrigation according to the water quality assessment. However, indexes sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) and soluble sodium percentage (Na%) were higher than 1.0 in Yibin-Luzhou and 30% in Yibin–Chongqing, respectively, suggesting a potential sodium hazard. In addition, except Tuojiang River and Shennong River, the risk of sodium hazard in tributaries was relatively low. High Na+ concentration in irrigation water can damage soil structure and function and ultimately affect agricultural production. Water quality in the upstream of a Piper diagram should attract enough attention.

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Section: Stoichiometry Of Weathering Processessupporting

confidence: 87%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Major Elements in the Upstream of Three Gorges Reservoir: An Investigation of Chemical Weathering and Water Quality during Flood Events

Wang

Han

et al. 2021

Water

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“…Sediment source changes may account for the change of the downstream K leaching signal. Previous studies indicated that the kaolinite content of the Poyang Lake‐derived sediments increased, while the dissolved load was also enriched in Si after the TGD construction (Wang et al, ; Zhao et al, ). However, our results are in contrast to this hypothesis since the sediments collected in the Poyang Lake in 2018 are characterized by a similar weathering intensity as for samples collected during the previous periods (Figure a).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…Thus, the Dongting Lake is mostly fed by weakly weathered sediments derived from the upper Changjiang. Furthermore, in comparison with pre‐TGD period, the kaolinite concentration (~30%) in Dongting Lake remains constant (Zhao et al, ), and the dissolved Si flux even decreased from 0.76 × 10 6 t/year in 1958–2002 to 0.67 × 10 6 t/year in 2003–2014 (Wang et al, ). All of those observations suggest that the outflowing Dongting Lake sediments are characterized by weak weathering intensity (i.e., high K/Si ratio).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This pattern changed because the sediment‐carrying capacity of downstream water flow exceeded the supply of suspended material (Chen et al, ; Lai et al, ; Luo et al, ). In addition, Wang et al () reported increased dissolved Si flux in the lower mainstream in recent years and attributed it to increased flux of biogenic silica redissolution in response to the riverbed erosion downstream of the TGD.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Progressive Evolution of the Changjiang (Yangtze River) Sediment Weathering Intensity Since the Three Gorges Dam Operation

Yang

Song

et al. 2019

JGR Earth Surface

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Chemical composition of river sediments and dissolved load is classically used to infer controls on continental weathering and, therefore, exert an important role on the understanding of the global carbon and biogeochemical cycles. To date, most studied river basins are strongly impacted by dam constructions; however, the effects of dams on sediment chemical compositions are little known. The Three Gorges Dam is one of the largest dams in the world and began impounding water in 2003 in the Changjiang basin. In order to investigate the impact of this dam on downstream sediment chemistry, temporal variation of sediment weathering intensity is reported here based on analyzed and compiled data between 1997 and 2018. Downstream sediments collected before 2003 are characterized by weak weathering intensity, in agreement with the overwhelming flux and fast transfer of sediments derived from the mountainous upper watershed. After the Three Gorges Dam operation, strong midlower riverbed erosion changed the roles of the midlower reaches from important sinks to major sources of sediments delivered to the East China Sea. This resulted in a progressive change of the sediment chemistry because the eroded midlower riverbed sediments were more deeply weathered, as confirmed by 150‐year‐old sediment cored in the lower mainstream and by mass‐balance calculations. This more intensive weathering may be explained by warmer climate and longer water‐rock interaction time in the midlower basin. Thus, this study suggests the need to quantify potential bias in weathering intensity and controls caused by damming activity in large river systems.

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Influence of dams on river water‐quality signatures at event and seasonal scales: The Sélune River (France) case study

Fovet

Ndom

Crave

et al. 2020

River Research & Apps

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Dams and reservoirs are known to disturb river‐water composition, among other impacts, with potential implications for downstream river ecosystems and water uses. Existing studies have emphasized the variable influence of dams on water composition according to the element, its speciation (dissolved vs. particulate), reservoir properties (residence times), reservoir functions (e.g., hydropower, irrigation), and management (water releases). A now common approach to analyzing hydrological, geochemical, and biological controls on element export from unregulated rivers is to study hydrochemical signatures such as concentration‐flow relationships. We investigated a case study to analyze hydrochemical signatures of a regulated river (Sélune River, western France) upstream and downstream of a chain of two hydropower dams, assuming that the dams disturbed the river's signatures, and that those disturbances would provide information about processes occurring in the reservoirs. Both seasonal and event‐scale signatures were analyzed over two contrasting hydrological years and a range of storm events. The dams induced a chemostatic downstream response to storm events whenever elements were diluted or concentrated upstream. Dams did not disturb the seasonality of major anions but did modify silica and phosphorus concentration‐flow relationships, especially during low flow. Such changes in dynamics of river‐water composition may affect downstream biological communities. This study presents an initial state of the hydrochemical signature of the downstream river, before the removal of the two dams.

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Response of the Changjiang (Yangtze River) water chemistry to the impoundment of Three Gorges Dam during 2010–2011

Cited by 27 publications

References 121 publications

Major Elements in the Upstream of Three Gorges Reservoir: An Investigation of Chemical Weathering and Water Quality during Flood Events

Major Elements in the Upstream of Three Gorges Reservoir: An Investigation of Chemical Weathering and Water Quality during Flood Events

Progressive Evolution of the Changjiang (Yangtze River) Sediment Weathering Intensity Since the Three Gorges Dam Operation

Influence of dams on river water‐quality signatures at event and seasonal scales: The Sélune River (France) case study

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