Numerical models of formation of alluvial stratigraphy often specify, either explicitly or implicitly, the proportion of channel and overbank sediments that are deposited during a given interval of time. However, little is known about the factors that affect the partitioning of sediment between channels and the overbank environment over long time intervals, and the fidelity with which that partition is preserved in the stratigraphic record. Here we use physical experiments to investigate the role that discharge variability plays in this partitioning in fluvial stratigraphy. We find that channels formed under constant flow conditions have low lateral mobility and act mostly as conduits for sediments to reach the shoreline. The bulk of the aggradation in this case is derived from sediment-laden flow that escapes the main channels. By contrast, including floods increases channel lateral mobility, and this change is recorded in stratigraphy as an increased proportion of channel deposits relative to overbank deposits. When variable flow is included as an input condition a large volume of in-channel deposition occurs, rendering the channels substantial contributors to stratigraphic volume on their own. The increase in channel deposit volume is driven mainly by a threefold increase in the average time that a location is subject to in-channel aggradation. Other factors include a slight increase of in-channel aggradation rates, and an increase in erosion of the overbank environment that results from energetic overbank flows. Our study shows that the character of a river's hydrograph exerts a significant influence on the proportion of channel to overbank sediment bodies in alluvial successions, which is an unexamined source of uncertainty in common stratigraphic models.
Results from physical and numerical experiments suggest that sediment cohesion influences deltaic morphodynamics by promoting the development and maintenance of channels. As a result, cohesion is thought to increase the magnitude and time scales of internally generated (autogenic) processes and the dimensions of their stratigraphic products. We test these hypotheses by examining the surface processes and stratigraphic products from a suite of physical experiments where the influence of cohesion is isolated over temporal and spatial scales important for basin filling. Given the stochastic nature of autogenic sediment transport processes, we develop and employ a range of statistical tools and metrics. We observe that (1) an increase in sediment cohesion decreases lateral channel mobility and thus increases the time necessary to regrade deltaic surfaces; (2) enhanced channelization, due to sediment cohesion, increases the time necessary for the deposits of autogenic processes to average together and produce stratigraphic products with shapes set by the generation of regional accommodation; (3) cohesion promotes the transport of suspended sediment to terrestrial overbank and marine environments, which decreases the volume of channel, relative to overbank and marine deposits in the stratigraphic record. This increase in overbank and marine deposition changes the spatial distribution of sand in stratigraphy, with higher cohesion linked to enhanced segregation of fine particles from coarse sand in the experimental deposits. Combined, these results illustrate how the cohesion of sediment is fundamental in setting autogenic spatial and temporal scales and needs to be considered when inverting stratigraphic architecture for paleo‐environmental history.
<p>The Mount Brown South (MBS) ice core is an approximately 300-meter-long ice core, drilled in 2016-2017 to the south of Mount Brown, Wilhelm II Land, East Antarctica. This location in East Antarctica was chosen as it produces an ice core with well-preserved sub-annual records of both chemistry and isotope concentrations, spanning back over 1000 years. MBS is particularly well suited to represent climate variations of the Indian Ocean sector of Antarctica, and to provide information about regional volcanism in the Southern Indian Ocean region.</p><p>A section of ice spanning the length of the MBS core was melted as part of the autumn 2019 continuous flow analysis (CFA) campaign at the Physics of Ice, Climate, and Earth (PICE) group at the University of Copenhagen. During this campaign, measurements were conducted for chemistry and impurities contained in the ice, in addition to water isotopes. The data measured in Copenhagen include measurements of H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2,</sub> pH, electrolytic conductivity, and NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup>, Ca<sup>2+</sup>, and Na<sup>+</sup>&#160;ions, in addition to insoluble particulate concentrations and size distribution measured using an Abakus laser particle counter.</p><p>Here, we present an overview of the CFA chemistry and impurity data, as well as preliminary investigations into the size distribution of insoluble particles and the presence of volcanic material within the ice. These initial chemistry and particulate size distribution data sets are useful in order to identify sections of the MBS core to subject to further analysis to increase our understanding of volcanic activity in the Southern Indian Ocean region.</p>
<div><span><span>The Dye-3 ice core was drilled to bedrock at the Southern part of the central Greenland ice sheet (65&#176;11'N, 43&#176;50'W) in 1979-1981. The southern location is characterized by high accumulation rates compared to more central locations of the ice sheet. Since its drilling, numerous analyses of the core have been performed, and the ice has since been in freezer storage both in the USA and in Denmark.</span></span></div><div><span>In October and November 2019, the remaining ice, two mostly complete sections covering the depths of 1753&#8211;1820m and 1865&#8211;1918m of the Dye-3 core, were melted during a continuous flow analysis (CFA) campaign at the Physics of Ice, Climate, and Earth (PICE) group at the University of Copenhagen. The data represents both Holocene, Younger Dryas and Glacial sections (GS 5 to 12).</span></div><div>&#160;</div><div><span><span>The measured data consist chemistry and impurities contained in the ice, isotopes, as well as analysis of methane and other atmospheric gases.&#160;</span></span></div><div><span><span>The chemistry measurements include NH</span></span><span><span><sub>4</sub></span></span><span><span><sup>+</sup></span></span><span><span>, Ca</span></span><span><span><sup>2+</sup></span></span><span><span>, and Na</span></span><span><span><sup>+</sup></span></span><span><span>&#160;ions, which besides being influenced by transport, provide information about forest fires, wind-blown dust, and sea ice, respectively, as well as acidity, which aids in the identification of volcanic events contained in the core. The quantity and grain size distribution of insoluble particles was analyzed by means of an Abakus laser particle counter.</span></span></div><div>&#160;</div><div><span>We compare the new high-resolution CFA record of dye3 with previous analysis and thus evaluate the progress made over 40 years. Further we compare overlapping time periods with other central Greenland ice cores and discuss spatial patterns in relation to the presented climate proxies.</span></div>
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