Geochemical factors controlling the chemical nature of water and sediments in the Gomti River, India

Abstract

 R-mode factor analysis of the recently acquired data on water and sediment chemistry has been performed. Basic chemical parameters have been merged together which aid in interpreting a few empirical geochemical factors controlling the chemical nature of water and sediments of the Gomti River, a major Himalayan tributary of the Ganges drainage basin. Water chemistry seems to be controlled by three factors: bicarbonate, rainfall and silicate and phosphate factors. Sediment chemistry is largely controlled by the following four factors: clay, adsorption/desorption, Fe-Mn hydroxide and mercury factors. These factors show spatial and temporal variability in terms of their R-scores.