Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

PC14 Estuarine, Near-shore, and Continental Shelf Processes

Date: Thursday, February 15, 2001

Location: Southwest Hall

Holmes, R, M, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, USA, rholmes@mbl.edu

Peterson, B, J, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, USA, peterson@mbl.edu

Zhulidov, A, V, Centre for the Preparation and Implementation of International Projects on Technical Assistance, Rostov-on-Don, Russian Federation, zhulidov@ncbcppi.rnd.runnet.ru

Gordeev, V, V, Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Moscow, Russian Federation, gordeev@geo.sio.rssi.ru

Lammers, R, B, University of New Hampshire, Durham, USA, lammers@eos-f.sr.unh.edu

Vorosmarty, C, V, University of New Hampshire, Durham, USA, charles.vorosmarty@unh.edu

SUSPENDED SEDIMENT FLUX TO THE ARCTIC OCEAN AND SHELF SEAS FROM EURASIAN RIVERS: ANALYSIS OF LONG-TERM DATA SETS

Land-ocean interactions are accentuated in the Arctic due to the large volume of river inputs relative to the small volume of the Arctic Ocean and its shelf seas. Knowledge of contemporary suspended sediment flux from Arctic rivers to estuaries and coastal seas is necessary for interpretation of paleo sediment records and in order to determine the impact of anthropogenic activities such as dam construction on sediment budgets. Here we evaluate the existing long-term suspended sediment data that have been collected for 15 Arctic rivers by the Roshydromet monitoring system of the former Soviet Union and current Russian Federation. These data, along with data collected by independent specialists working in Russia, were assembled and digitized through collaboration with regional laboratories in Russia. Data sets for individual rivers typically span the 1980-1998 period and contain between 200 and 1000 data points. Sediment flux estimates derived from the two data sources are compared to each other and to previously published estimates. Establishing the contemporary sediment flux baseline is a necessary step for detecting any future changes, either natural or anthropogenic in origin.

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Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

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