title: Riverine inputs of organic carbon and nitrogen to Norwegian coastal areas.
abstract: The transport of organic and inorganic material in 10 Norwegian rivers has been monitored from 1990 to 1998. The suspended material in the rivers consisted of 40-80% organic materials. A major part of this was DOC with a C/ N mole ratio > 25. The C/N ratio of the organic material increases with increasing river flow when drained from forest-dominated catchments, in contrast to mountain dominated catchments where variation in runoff does not influence the C/N ratio. Laboratory experiments showed that more than 90% of the DOC remained in solution when salinity increased to 30. The flocculated and settled material contained less than 5% organic material with a C/N ratio of 6.7-12.4, comparable to C/N ratios in cultivated soils and coastal marine sediments. This confirms that only a minor amount of organic material carried to the sea by rivers settles in the coastal zone.
authors: Department of Soil and Water Science, Agricultural University of Norway, Aas. aud.helland@niva.no
authors: Aud
authors: A
authors: Helland
authors: Gjertrud
authors: G
authors: Holtan
authors: Per
authors: P
authors: Jørgensen
mesh_terms: D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005427:Flocculation; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis*; D009664:Norway; D045483:Rivers; D012623:Seawater; D014872:Water Movements
chemical_list: D002244:Carbon; D009584:Nitrogen