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Sedimentation rates and sediment age of the high-altitude cold desert Ramsar Wetland, the Chandratal, inferred from radionuclide (210Pb and 137Cs) technique

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Abstract

In the current scenario, the pristine Himalayan Wetlands are under endangerment due to higher sedimentation rate, including siltation, reduction of ecological value, pollution, and significant anthropogenic encroachment along with advanced civilization. The more increased sedimentation reduces the depth and existing expansion of the Wetland. This study articulates the record of sedimentation in the Chandratal present in Western Himalaya, Himachal Pradesh, India, at the altitude of 4300 m. The sedimentation rate of the Chandratal was calculated based on a 1-m core sample considering isotopes of 137Cs and 210Pb dating techniques. The present study based on the Constant Rate of Supply (CRS) model of 210Pb reveals that the Wetland experienced an average sedimentation rate of 1.75 ± 0.04 cm/year during the last 63 years observed from 1953 to 2016. The 137Cs peak method–based calculated sedimentation rate of the Chandratal is 1.6 ± 0.02 cm/year representing the years for about 62 years from 1954 to 2016. The Wetland’s functional survival prevalence was estimated to be 420 and 459 years based on 210Pb and 137Cs dating techniques, respectively. The study communicates that the magnified human interference in the catchment area of the Chandratal is accountable for the faster sedimentation in recent years.

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The datasets generated for this study are available originally from the authors on request.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the support of Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu, India, for granting permission and providing our necessary equipment for the fieldwork of the Chandratal. The authors would also like to thank Parasol Camps & Retreats for their essential assistance and help during the entire period of trekking and sampling in the fieldwork domain. The authors are also immensely thankful to R.K. Singhal, Head, his research team, Analytical Spectroscopy Section, Department of Analytical Chemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai, India, for requisite support at different stages of this work.

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  1. Department of Earth Sciences, Annamalai University, Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, India

    Sonam Priyadarshini Rout & Sivaprakasam Vasudevan

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  1. Sonam Priyadarshini Rout
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Sonam Priyadarshini Rout and Sivaprakasam Vasudevan oversaw data collection and processing as well as did the statistical analysis and modeling, and produced the original manuscript draft. Contribution of study design, writing, editing, and interpretation was also done by both of them.

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Rout, S.P., Vasudevan, S. Sedimentation rates and sediment age of the high-altitude cold desert Ramsar Wetland, the Chandratal, inferred from radionuclide (210Pb and 137Cs) technique. Environ Monit Assess 194, 305 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-022-09984-9

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