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Southeastern Tibetan Plateau serves as the dominant sand contributor to the Yangtze River: Evidence from Pb isotopic compositions of detrital K‐feldspar
Author(s) -
Zhang Zengjie,
Daly J. Stephen,
Li Chang'an,
Tyrrell Shane,
Badenszki Eszter,
Sun Xilin,
Tian Yuntao,
Yan Yi
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
terra nova
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.353
H-Index - 89
eISSN - 1365-3121
pISSN - 0954-4879
DOI - 10.1111/ter.12505
Subject(s) - geology , tributary , detritus , feldspar , plateau (mathematics) , fluvial , geochemistry , sediment , geomorphology , quartz , paleontology , structural basin , mathematical analysis , cartography , mathematics , geography
Abstract There is as yet no consensus as to the dominant source of sediment transported to the oceans: the steep tectonically active highlands, or the gently sloping lowlands? In this study, new Pb isotopic analyses of detrital K‐feldspar have been combined with published data to constrain sand supply in the Yangtze River, one of the largest fluvial sediment transport systems on Earth. Tributaries draining southeastern Tibet have predominantly unradiogenic K‐feldspar sand grains. K‐feldspar in the middle Yangtze comprises c. 50% of grains of this kind, confirming that the southeastern Tibetan tributaries are the dominant sediment contributors. K‐feldspars characteristic of tributaries of the middle‐lower reaches are not strongly represented in the trunk Yangtze, indicating that they contribute little sediment. Our study demonstrates that tectonic uplift in southeastern Tibet is the primary control on sand supply. This is consistent with quartz 10 Be data and with bulk‐sand petrography, indicating a major contribution of detritus from steep mountainous terrain.