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Morphometric and sediment source characterization of the Alaknanda river basin, headwaters of river Ganga, India

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Abstract

Erosion and the resulting sediment load is a silent natural hazard that can affect the hydraulic processes in a fluvial system. The physical erosion rate in the Alaknanda basin is five times higher than the global average, and Alaknanda River is a major supplier of sediments to the Ganga River. Anthropogenic intrusion in the form of construction of dams and reservoirs is influencing the natural landscape of the basin. Thus, it is necessary to prioritize erosion prone areas, understand the weathering intensity and identify source bed rocks contributing to the sediment load. The present study displays a combined approach of morphometry and geochemistry for erosion risk estimation. Nineteen morphometric parameters were evaluated for Alaknanda main channel, Mandakini, Pinder, Nandakini, Birahi Ganga and Dhauli Ganga sub-catchments. Suspended sediment samples collected during non-monsoon and monsoon seasons of the year 2014 were analyzed and quantified for sediment load, grain size distribution, clay mineralogy and rare earth elements composition. The results showed the dominance of structural, lithological and climatic control on the erosion processes. The eastern side of the Alaknanda basin was found to be more vulnerable to fluvial erosion. The mean grain size varied from 8.9 to 56.3 μm and 25.3 to 87.3 μm in the post-monsoon and monsoon season, respectively. The clay mineral assemblages, low values of kaolinite/illite ratio, illite chemistry index and illite crystallinity  index along with inconsistent Eu and Ce anomaly indicate that physical and chemical weathering of felsic, mafic and carbonate rocks contributes to high sediment load carried by the Alaknanda River.

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(Source: Bickle et al. 2003)

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Acknowledgements

SP acknowledges University Grant Commission, New Delhi, for a research fellowship. Special thanks to Yawar Ali Khan, Dhruv Gaur and Shaumik Daityari for help in field work. Thanks to Ajit Kumar Behera and Nirmit Sah. We gratefully acknowledge anonymous reviewers and the Editor for the constructive and insightful review that helped improve the quality of the manuscript.

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  1. Department of Earth Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, 247667, India

    S. Panwar & G. J. Chakrapani

  2. Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, 247667, India

    V. Agarwal

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Panwar, S., Agarwal, V. & Chakrapani, G.J. Morphometric and sediment source characterization of the Alaknanda river basin, headwaters of river Ganga, India. Nat Hazards 87, 1649–1671 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-017-2838-y

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