IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v12y2021i1d10.1038_s41467-021-26231-w.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Global syndromes induced by changes in solutes of the world’s large rivers

Author

Listed:
  • Jiang Wu

    (State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of All Materials Fluxes in River Ecosystems, Peking University
    School of Environment and Energy, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School)

  • Nan Xu

    (School of Environment and Energy, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School)

  • Yichu Wang

    (College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University)

  • Wei Zhang

    (Michigan State University)

  • Alistair G. L. Borthwick

    (The University of Edinburgh, The King’s Buildings
    University of Plymouth, Drake Circus)

  • Jinren Ni

    (State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of All Materials Fluxes in River Ecosystems, Peking University
    Southern University of Science and Technology)

Abstract

Solute-induced river syndromes have grown in intensity in recent years. Here we investigate seven such river syndromes (salinization, mineralization, desalinization, acidification, alkalization, hardening, and softening) associated with global trends in major solutes (Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+, SO42−, Cl−, HCO3−) and dissolved silica in the world’s large rivers (basin areas ≥ 1000 km2). A comprehensive dataset from 600 gauge stations in 149 large rivers reveals nine binary patterns of co-varying trends in runoff and solute concentration. Solute-induced river syndromes are associated with remarkable increases in total dissolved solids (68%), chloride (81%), sodium (86%) and sulfate (142%) fluxes from rivers to oceans worldwide. The syndromes are most prevalent in temperate regions (30~50°N and 30~40°S based on the available data) where severe rock weathering and active human interferences such as urbanization and agricultural irrigation are concentrated. This study highlights the urgency to protect river health from extreme changes in solute contents.

Suggested Citation

  • Jiang Wu & Nan Xu & Yichu Wang & Wei Zhang & Alistair G. L. Borthwick & Jinren Ni, 2021. "Global syndromes induced by changes in solutes of the world’s large rivers," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-10, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:12:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-021-26231-w
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26231-w
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-26231-w
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-021-26231-w?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. James E. Bauer & Wei-Jun Cai & Peter A. Raymond & Thomas S. Bianchi & Charles S. Hopkinson & Pierre A. G. Regnier, 2013. "The changing carbon cycle of the coastal ocean," Nature, Nature, vol. 504(7478), pages 61-70, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Fabian Quichimbo-Miguitama & David Matamoros & Leticia Jiménez & Pablo Quichimbo-Miguitama, 2022. "Influence of Low-Impact Development in Flood Control: A Case Study of the Febres Cordero Stormwater System of Guayaquil (Ecuador)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-18, June.
    2. Cossarini, G. & Querin, S. & Solidoro, C., 2015. "The continental shelf carbon pump in the northern Adriatic Sea (Mediterranean Sea): Influence of wintertime variability," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 314(C), pages 118-134.
    3. Katrina L Poppe & John M Rybczyk, 2021. "Tidal marsh restoration enhances sediment accretion and carbon accumulation in the Stillaguamish River estuary, Washington," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(9), pages 1-17, September.
    4. Luisetti, Tiziana & Turner, R. Kerry & Andrews, Julian E. & Jickells, Timothy D. & Kröger, Silke & Diesing, Markus & Paltriguera, Lucille & Johnson, Martin T. & Parker, Eleanor R. & Bakker, Dorothee C, 2019. "Quantifying and valuing carbon flows and stores in coastal and shelf ecosystems in the UK," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 67-76.
    5. Jiang, Long & Xia, Meng, 2017. "Wind effects on the spring phytoplankton dynamics in the middle reach of the Chesapeake Bay," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 363(C), pages 68-80.
    6. Wei-Jen Huang & Kai-Jung Kao & Li-Lian Liu & Chi-Wen Liao & Yin-Lung Han, 2018. "An Assessment of Direct Dissolved Inorganic Carbon Injection to the Coastal Region: A Model Result," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-10, April.
    7. Hao Su & Shuo Yang, 2022. "Spatio-Temporal Urban Land Green Use Efficiency under Carbon Emission Constraints in the Yellow River Basin, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-28, October.
    8. Dong Liu & Kun Shi & Peng Chen & Nuoxiao Yan & Lishan Ran & Tiit Kutser & Andrew N. Tyler & Evangelos Spyrakos & R. Iestyn Woolway & Yunlin Zhang & Hongtao Duan, 2024. "Substantial increase of organic carbon storage in Chinese lakes," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.
    9. Tom Rippeth & Sijing Shen & Ben Lincoln & Brian Scannell & Xin Meng & Joanne Hopkins & Jonathan Sharples, 2024. "The deepwater oxygen deficit in stratified shallow seas is mediated by diapycnal mixing," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.
    10. KHAN Shohel & MOUSUMI Israth Jahan & BILLAH Mohammad Maruf, 2022. "Crop Production Fluctuation And Agricultural Transformation: Impacts Of Constructing A Closure Dam," Management of Sustainable Development, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Faculty of Economic Sciences, vol. 14(1), pages 30-35, June.
    11. Liang Chen & Zhengxin Yin & Meng Tang & Tuanjie Li & Dong Xu, 2022. "Distribution and Genesis of Organic Carbon Storage on the Northern Shelf of the South China Sea," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-15, September.
    12. Feng, Jing-Chun & Sun, Liwei & Yan, Jinyue, 2023. "Carbon sequestration via shellfish farming: A potential negative emissions technology," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    13. Shasha Song & Isaac R. Santos & Huaming Yu & Faming Wang & William C. Burnett & Thomas S. Bianchi & Junyu Dong & Ergang Lian & Bin Zhao & Lawrence Mayer & Qingzhen Yao & Zhigang Yu & Bochao Xu, 2022. "A global assessment of the mixed layer in coastal sediments and implications for carbon storage," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
    14. Miho Ishizu & Yasumasa Miyazawa & Tomohiko Tsunoda & Xinyu Guo, 2019. "Development of a Biogeochemical and Carbon Model Related to Ocean Acidification Indices with an Operational Ocean Model Product in the North Western Pacific," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-28, May.
    15. Kunshan Bao & Ji Shen & Guoping Wang & Chuanyu Gao, 2015. "Anthropogenic Black Carbon Emission Increase during the Last 150 Years at Coastal Jiangsu, China," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(7), pages 1-17, July.
    16. Laurel Ballanti & Kristin B. Byrd & Isa Woo & Christopher Ellings, 2017. "Remote Sensing for Wetland Mapping and Historical Change Detection at the Nisqually River Delta," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(11), pages 1-32, October.
    17. Miho Ishizu & Yasumasa Miyazawa & Tomohiko Tsunoda & Xinyu Guo, 2020. "Seasonal variability in the inorganic ocean carbon cycle in the Northwest Pacific evaluated using a biogeochemical and carbon model coupled with an operational ocean model," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 162(2), pages 877-902, September.
    18. Mohammad Bahadori & Chengrong Chen & Stephen Lewis & Juntao Wang & Jupei Shen & Enqing Hou & Mehran Rezaei Rashti & Qiaoyun Huang & Zoe Bainbridge & Tom Stevens, 2023. "The origin of suspended particulate matter in the Great Barrier Reef," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    19. Emily Seelen & Van Liem-Nguyen & Urban Wünsch & Zofia Baumann & Robert Mason & Ulf Skyllberg & Erik Björn, 2023. "Dissolved organic matter thiol concentrations determine methylmercury bioavailability across the terrestrial-marine aquatic continuum," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-13, December.
    20. Krishna, Shubham & Peterson, Victoria & Listmann, Luisa & Hinners, Jana, 2024. "Interactive effects of viral lysis and warming in a coastal ocean identified from an idealized ecosystem model," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 487(C).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:12:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-021-26231-w. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.