Geochemistry of Holocene clays of the Rhine and Meuse rivers in the central-eastern Netherlands

  • A.L. Hakstege Department of Soil Science and Geology, Agricultural University, P 0. Box 37, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
  • S.B. Kroonenberg Department of Soil Science and Geology, Agricultural University, P 0. Box 37, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
  • H. Van Wijck Technical Centre for Ceramic Industries, P 0. Box 40, 6994 ZG De Steeg, The Netherlands
Keywords: floodplain, heavy metals, multivariate statistics, pollution, soil reference values

Abstract

Major and minor element geochemical analysis of Holocene clays from five borings in the Rhine and Meuse floodplains shows that Rhine deposits have less SiO2, MnO, Nb and Zr and more CaO, MgO, Na2O, P2O5, Rb and Sr than Meuse deposits. Geochemical differences between old and young floodplain clays of the Rhine are due to different granulometry and depositional regime. Multivariate statistics show that more than 70% of variance in the deposits is related to provenance and sorting during transport and deposition. Pb and Zn concentrations are correlated with organic matter content, and vegetation horizons in old floodplain deposits are naturally enriched in these heavy metals. Pb and Zn, therefore, are potential paleoclimatic indicators. Increased contents of Pb,Zn, Cr, Ba and V in young floodplain sediments dating from the last century are due to industrial pollution.

Published
1993-01-01
How to Cite
A.L. Hakstege, S.B. Kroonenberg, & H. Van Wijck. (1993). Geochemistry of Holocene clays of the Rhine and Meuse rivers in the central-eastern Netherlands. Netherlands Journal of Geosciences, 71, 301-315. Retrieved from https://njgjournal.nl/index.php/njg/article/view/12548
Issue
Volume 71 - 1992
Section
Regular paper

Authors contributing to Netherlands Journal of Geosciences retain copyright of their work, with first publication rights granted to the Netherlands
Journal of Geosciences Foundation. Read the journal's full Copyright- and Licensing Policy.