Abstract
This study uses radiometric analysis (210Pb and 137Cs) of short sediment cores with high-resolution sampling (1-cm interval) to trace sedimentation rates in the Nile Delta lagoons, particularly since completion of the Aswan High Dam in 1964. A declining trend in 210Pbex as calculated by the CIC model is clearly identified in about 10 cm of the upper-core sediments from the lagoons of Manzala and Edku, accompanied by two spikes of 137Cs in cores from the lagoons of Burullus and Edku. These findings illustrate average post-dam sedimentation rates ranging from 0.22 to 0.27 cm a−1 in the lagoons, in contrast with those found previously based on low-resolution sampling. The lower sedimentation rates in the lagoons are a consequence of a dramatic reduction in riverine sediment load to the coastal area as a result of the damming. Although widespread erosion occurs along the open estuarine coast, the lagoon setting remains calmer than before due to coastal diking and freshwater regulation in the delta plain in the past decades. This provides the possibility of continuously preserved radiometric records in the less-bioturbated lagoon sediments. Dating individual layers using the CRS model has revealed increasing sedimentation rates in Manzala and Burullus since the 1980s, which can largely be explained as a consequence of the reduction in lagoon area due to intensifying reclamation. The post-dam sedimentation in the shrinking lagoons may have some adverse ecological consequences due to finer sediment’s affinity with pollutants. These findings would shed light on the environmental conservation and socioeconomic development in the Nile Delta region.
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Acknowledgments
The University of Kafrelsheikh, Egypt, and Burullus Protected Area, Egypt, generously facilitated the fieldwork for this study. In addition, Ms. Mena Mohamed Essam Elassal kindly helped with the sampling. This project is supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology, China (Grant No. 5-II-6), Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality (Grant No. 072307032), SKLEC-2008KYYW02, and the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China-111 Project (Grant No. B08022).
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Gu, J., Chen, Z. & Salem, A. Post-Aswan dam sedimentation rate of lagoons of the Nile Delta, Egypt. Environ Earth Sci 64, 1807–1813 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-011-0983-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-011-0983-2