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Impacts of anthropogenic activities on weathering and carbon fluxes: a case study in the Xijiang River basin, southwest China

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Abstract

Monthly hydrogeochemical and discharge values were collected in the middle and upper reaches of the Xijiang River basin from April 2011 to March 2012 for the purpose of assessing the impact of anthropogenic activities on geological carbon sinks. The results of this study show that (1) the main ions in river water were influenced by different natural conditions and anthropogenic activities; (2) in a hydrological year, weathering fluxes of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) were 50.00 × 108, 1.52 × 108, and 1.79 × 108 kg CO2 in the Wuzhou, Zhaoping, and Yangshuo transects, respectively; and furthermore, DICcarbonate acid (carbon flux caused by carbonic acid) were 37.71 × 108, 1.31 × 108, and 1.56 × 108 kg CO2, respectively, which represents approximately 31.56, 10.15, and 15.29 g CO2 m−2 in the monitoring period; (3) the carbon flux from the participation of allogenic acid (such as sulfuric acid or nitric acid) in carbonate rock weathering was obvious, which must be eliminated from the calculation of the net carbon sink in carbonate rock weathering because it would be released into the atmosphere as a carbon source; and (4) in the geological processes, there was a clearly carbon sink loss caused by anthropogenic activities in various ways, which is attributed to the addition of nitric acid and sulfuric acid, such as through agricultural and industrial activities, and hydropower stations.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41402324, 41402238 and 41572234), the Project of the China Geological Survey (12120113005100, 121201107000150003), the Project of Natural Science Foundation of Guangxi (2014GXNSFBA118228), the open foundation of Karst Dynamics Laboratory (14-A-04-02) and Project of Institute of karst Geology, CAGS (201429).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China

    Shi Yu

  2. Karst Dynamics Laboratory, Ministry of Land and Resources/GuangXi, Institute of Karst Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Guilin, China

    Shi Yu, Shiyi He, Ping’an Sun & Junbing Pu

  3. Wuzhou Bureau of Hydrology and Water Resources, Wuzhou, 543000, China

    Jie Huang & Huixian Luo

  4. Guilin Environment Protection Monitoring Station, Guilin, 541004, China

    Yongshan Li

  5. School of Geography Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China

    Rui Li & Yaqiong Yuan

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  1. Shi Yu
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  2. Shiyi He
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  5. Jie Huang
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  9. Yaqiong Yuan
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Correspondence to Shiyi He or Junbing Pu.

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Yu, S., He, S., Sun, P. et al. Impacts of anthropogenic activities on weathering and carbon fluxes: a case study in the Xijiang River basin, southwest China. Environ Earth Sci 75, 589 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-015-5226-5

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