Major, Trace and Rare Earth Element Geochemistry of Suspended
Particulate Material of East Siberian Rivers Draining to the Arctic
Ocean
V. Rachold
Alfred- Wegener-Institut fur Polar- und Meeresforschung, Forschungsstelle Potsdam, Telegrafenberg A43,
D 14473 Potsdam, Germany
Received 23 May 1997 and accepted in revised form 5 March 1998
Abstract - The study presents data on the major, trace, and rare earth element (REE)
composition of suspended particulate material (SPM) of the majors rivers draining to the
Laptev Sea (the Lena, Yana, and Khatanga), as well as their major tributaries. The chemical
data can be used to distinguish between material supplied by individual rivers and to
fingerprint the sediment transport to the Laptev Sea and further to the Arctic Ocean.
Due to the size of the drainage basin, the average chemical composition of Lena SPM is
very similar to average shale, representing the weathering product of the upper continental
crust. Small variations in the chemical composition along the course of the river can be
related to material input through major tributaries. The SPM of these tributaries draining
more restricted basins of specific lithologies exhibits significant differences from the Lena
which is seen in the trace element composition and the REE pattern. The Yana SPM is
characterized by the strongest variations in chemical composition, which are related to the
heterogeneity of the Yana basin. In particular, the Yana SPM shows higher Zr
concentrations and an enrichment in As and Cs. The latter is attributed to granitic
intrusions forming the source of Au and Sn ore deposits in the Yana catchment. As a result
of the dominance of basaltic rocks of the Siberian Trap in the Khatanga basin, the chemical
composition of Khatanga SPM differs significantly from both the Lena and the Yana. The
Khatanga SPM is strongly enriched with elements that are associated with basalts, i.e. Ca,
Co, Cu, Fe, Mg, Ni, Ti, and V. The shale-normalized REE pattern shows a depletion in
light REE and a positive Eu anomaly, which corresponds with the Siherian Trap. However,
due to weathering, a heavy REE depletion relative to light REE is superimposed on this
pattern. Factor analysis of the chemical data set identifies the major processes controlling
the SPM composition and clearly differentiates the SPM of the three studied rivers.
Introduction
The detrital component of Arctic marine sediments is mainly derived from material supplied by
the major Siberian rivers Lena, Yenisey, and Ob. Today, the Lena is thought to be of
importance because large amounts of sediment loaded sea ice feeding the Transpolar Drift are
formed in the Laptev Sea shelf area, into which the Lena drains (Nlirnberg et aI., 1994;
Reimnitz et aI., 1994; Reimnitz et aI., 1995). Recent studies demonstrated that sea ice is an
important agent for sediment transport in the Arctic Ocean and Northern Seas (Bischof et aI.,
1990; Dethleff et aI., 1993; Wollenburg, 1993; Eisenhauer et aI., 1994; Eicken et aI., 1996).
For this reason, the interdisciplinary Russian-German project, "The Laptev Sea System",
concentrates on geological, biological, chemical, and oceanographic processes in the Laptev
Sea shelf area (Kassens and Karpiy, 1994; Kassens et aI., 1994; Kassens et aI., 1995). Within
this project, the present study focuses on fluvial sediment transport to the Laptev Sea. The
objectives are to characterize the material supplied by each river and to find individual chemical
signals allowing the identification of this material in Arctic marine sediments.
Numerous recent studies focused on different chemical aspects of the Lena, such as the
dissolved major ion geochemistry (Gordeev and Sidorov, 1993), the dissolved and particulate
In: Kassens, H., H.A. Bauch, l. Dmitrenko, H. Eicken, H.-W. Hubberten, M. Melles, J. Thiede and L. Timokhov (eds.)
Land-Ocean Systems in the Siberian Arctic: Dynamics and History. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1999, 199-222.
Particulate Material of East Siberian Rivers Draining to the Arctic
Ocean
V. Rachold
Alfred- Wegener-Institut fur Polar- und Meeresforschung, Forschungsstelle Potsdam, Telegrafenberg A43,
D 14473 Potsdam, Germany
Received 23 May 1997 and accepted in revised form 5 March 1998
Abstract - The study presents data on the major, trace, and rare earth element (REE)
composition of suspended particulate material (SPM) of the majors rivers draining to the
Laptev Sea (the Lena, Yana, and Khatanga), as well as their major tributaries. The chemical
data can be used to distinguish between material supplied by individual rivers and to
fingerprint the sediment transport to the Laptev Sea and further to the Arctic Ocean.
Due to the size of the drainage basin, the average chemical composition of Lena SPM is
very similar to average shale, representing the weathering product of the upper continental
crust. Small variations in the chemical composition along the course of the river can be
related to material input through major tributaries. The SPM of these tributaries draining
more restricted basins of specific lithologies exhibits significant differences from the Lena
which is seen in the trace element composition and the REE pattern. The Yana SPM is
characterized by the strongest variations in chemical composition, which are related to the
heterogeneity of the Yana basin. In particular, the Yana SPM shows higher Zr
concentrations and an enrichment in As and Cs. The latter is attributed to granitic
intrusions forming the source of Au and Sn ore deposits in the Yana catchment. As a result
of the dominance of basaltic rocks of the Siberian Trap in the Khatanga basin, the chemical
composition of Khatanga SPM differs significantly from both the Lena and the Yana. The
Khatanga SPM is strongly enriched with elements that are associated with basalts, i.e. Ca,
Co, Cu, Fe, Mg, Ni, Ti, and V. The shale-normalized REE pattern shows a depletion in
light REE and a positive Eu anomaly, which corresponds with the Siherian Trap. However,
due to weathering, a heavy REE depletion relative to light REE is superimposed on this
pattern. Factor analysis of the chemical data set identifies the major processes controlling
the SPM composition and clearly differentiates the SPM of the three studied rivers.
Introduction
The detrital component of Arctic marine sediments is mainly derived from material supplied by
the major Siberian rivers Lena, Yenisey, and Ob. Today, the Lena is thought to be of
importance because large amounts of sediment loaded sea ice feeding the Transpolar Drift are
formed in the Laptev Sea shelf area, into which the Lena drains (Nlirnberg et aI., 1994;
Reimnitz et aI., 1994; Reimnitz et aI., 1995). Recent studies demonstrated that sea ice is an
important agent for sediment transport in the Arctic Ocean and Northern Seas (Bischof et aI.,
1990; Dethleff et aI., 1993; Wollenburg, 1993; Eisenhauer et aI., 1994; Eicken et aI., 1996).
For this reason, the interdisciplinary Russian-German project, "The Laptev Sea System",
concentrates on geological, biological, chemical, and oceanographic processes in the Laptev
Sea shelf area (Kassens and Karpiy, 1994; Kassens et aI., 1994; Kassens et aI., 1995). Within
this project, the present study focuses on fluvial sediment transport to the Laptev Sea. The
objectives are to characterize the material supplied by each river and to find individual chemical
signals allowing the identification of this material in Arctic marine sediments.
Numerous recent studies focused on different chemical aspects of the Lena, such as the
dissolved major ion geochemistry (Gordeev and Sidorov, 1993), the dissolved and particulate
In: Kassens, H., H.A. Bauch, l. Dmitrenko, H. Eicken, H.-W. Hubberten, M. Melles, J. Thiede and L. Timokhov (eds.)
Land-Ocean Systems in the Siberian Arctic: Dynamics and History. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1999, 199-222.