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Geochemical analysis of Minho Estuary sedimentary record and its contribution to palaeoenvironmental evolution

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Abstract

Two sediment cores (~30 m long) were retrieved at the mouth of the Minho Estuary to assess its palaeoenvironmental evolution for the last millennia. Samples were characterized by Energy-Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry and Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis, complemented by sedimentological analyses. Provenance of major and trace element contents (lithogenic or biogenic, continental or marine) is assessed. The influence of grain size effect on total element concentration is discussed. Most of the samples present a negative Eu anomaly. Sedimentological and geochemical parameters allow differentiating four geological units––fluvial, marine, estuarine and sand barrier––which reflects the temporal evolution of the Minho Estuary.

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Acknowledgements

This work was undertaken as a part of the project “Late Quaternary ENVIronmental CHANGES (ENVI-CHANGES)—PLE/12/00 funded by the Portuguese Science Foundation. P. A.-I. thanks the support from the Portuguese Science Foundation through the postdoctoral grant SFRH/BPD/34582/2007, and from the Xunta de Galicia (Spain) through a postdoctoral contract under the Ángeles Alvariño programme.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Grupo GEOMA, Departamento de Geociencias Marinas y Ordenación del Territorio, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, Universidad de Vigo, Campus das Lagoas-Marcosende, 36310, Vigo (Pontevedra), Spain

    P. Álvarez-Iglesias

  2. Departamento de Química, Instituto Tecnológico e Nuclear, Estrada Nacional 10, 2686-953, Sacavém, Portugal

    P. Álvarez-Iglesias, M. F. Araújo & A. Gouveia

  3. Instituto Nacional de Recursos Biológicos (L-IPIMAR), Av. 5 de Outubro, s/n, 8700-305, Olhão, Portugal

    T. Drago

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  1. P. Álvarez-Iglesias
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  2. M. F. Araújo
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  3. A. Gouveia
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  4. T. Drago
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Correspondence to M. F. Araújo.

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Álvarez-Iglesias, P., Araújo, M.F., Gouveia, A. et al. Geochemical analysis of Minho Estuary sedimentary record and its contribution to palaeoenvironmental evolution. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 281, 237–240 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-009-0109-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-009-0109-4

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