Post-european settlement impacts on erosion and land degradation; A case study using farm reservoir sedimentation in the eastern cape, South Africa

Kate Rowntree*, Ian Foster, Tim Mighall, Leanne Dupreez, John Boardman

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalConference articlepeer-review

6 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We present data from a farm reservoir constructed in 1843, which retains a complete and undisturbed sedimentary record exceeding 4 m in depth. A small number (27) of potential sediment sources were sampled and characterised by their mineral magnetic fingerprints. Similar signatures were measured on the reservoir sediments. While yet to be dated, analysis of mineral magnetic properties of the reservoir sediments suggest that they contain significant quantities of super-paramagnetic minerals produced by pedogenesis, but are not strongly overprinted by magnetic signatures that could be attributed to bacterial magnetite or greigite produced within the reservoir. Preliminary results from the source tracing show that the sediments are probably derived from colluvial topsoils punctuated by inputs from river channels or badlands.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)139-142
Number of pages4
JournalIAHS-AISH Publication
Issue number325
Publication statusPublished - 2008
EventSediment Dynamics in Changing Environments - 2008 Symposium of the International Commission on Continental Erosion, ICCE - Christchurch, New Zealand
Duration: 1 Dec 20085 Dec 2008

Keywords

  • Environmental magnetism
  • Gamma-emitting radionuclides
  • Karoo
  • Sediment sources
  • South Africa

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