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Biogeochemistry of particulate organic matter transported by the Godavari River, India

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Abstract

The Godavari River, the third largest river of India,has been sampled for Particulate Inorganic and OrganicCarbon (PIC, POC), Particulate Nitrogen (PN), andParticulate Amino Acids (PAA, including 2 hexosamines(HA)). During the dry season Particulate OrganicMatter (POM) in the upper reaches is relatively freshand autochthonous, in the lower reaches it is degradedand inorganic suspended matter content is higher here.In the wet season (wet monsoon) heavy rains cause abasin-wide flushing of humus from entire catchmentarea consequently POM in the river is mainly degradedand allochthonous. Annual transport of the GodavariRiver amounts to 2.81 × 10 6 ton POC, 0.29 × 10 6ton PN and 0.10 × 10 6 tonParticulate Amino Acid Nitrogen. These amounts rank theGodavari River to one of the most important organic carbontransporting rivers in the world.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110 067, India

    LALLAN PRASAD GUPTA & VAITHYANATHAN SUBRAMANIAN

  2. Institute of Biogeochemistry and Marine Chemistry, University of Hamburg, Bundesstrasse 55, 20146, Hamburg, Germany

    VENUGOPALAN ITTEKKOT

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  1. LALLAN PRASAD GUPTA
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GUPTA, L.P., SUBRAMANIAN, V. & ITTEKKOT, V. Biogeochemistry of particulate organic matter transported by the Godavari River, India. Biogeochemistry 38, 103–128 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005732519216

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