Impact of humans on the flux of terrestrial sediment to the global coastal ocean.
Here we provide global estimates of the seasonal flux of sediment, on a river-by-river basis, under modern and prehuman conditions. Humans have simultaneously increased the sediment transport by global rivers through soil erosion (by 2.3 +/- 0.6 billion metric tons per year), yet reduced the flux of sediment reaching the world's coasts (by 1.4 +/- 0.3 billion metric tons per year) because of retention within reservoirs. Over 100 billion metric tons of sediment and 1 to 3 billion metric tons of carbon are now sequestered in reservoirs constructed largely within the past 50 years. African and Asian rivers carry a greatly reduced sediment load; Indonesian rivers deliver much more sediment to coastal areas.
Syvitski
James P M
JP
Environmental Computation and Imaging Facility, Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR), University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0450, USA. james.syvitski@colorado.edu
Vörösmarty
Charles J
CJ
Kettner
Albert J
AJ
Green
Pamela
P
D000383:Agriculture; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D016208:Databases, Factual; D017753:Ecosystem; D019015:Geologic Sediments; D006802:Human Activities; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D045483:Rivers; D012621:Seasons; D012623:Seawater; D012987:Soil; D014867:Water
D012987:Soil; D014867:Water