What is it about?
We present a globally representative set of 2828 suspended and bed sediment compositional measurements from 1683 locations around the globe. This database, named Global River Sediments (GloRiSe) version 1.1, includes major, minor and trace elements, along with mineralogical data, and provides time series for some sites. Each observation is complemented by metadata describing geographic location, sampling date and time, sample treatment, and measurement details, which allows for grouping and selection of observations, as well as for interoperability with external data sources, and improves interpretability. Information on references, unit conversion and references makes the database comprehensible. Notably, the close to globe-spanning extent of this compilation allows the derivation of data-driven, spatially resolved global-scale conclusions about the role of rivers and processes related to them within the Earth system.
Featured Image
Photo by Justin Wilkens on Unsplash
Why is it important?
Rivers transport dissolved and solid loads from terrestrial realms to the oceans and between inland reservoirs, representing major mass fluxes on Earth's surface. The composition of river water and sediment provides clues to a plethora of Earth and environmental processes, including weathering, erosion, nutrient and carbon cycling, environmental pollution, reservoir exchange, and tectonic cycles. While there are documented, publicly available databases for riverine dissolved and suspended nutrients, there is no openly accessible, georeferenced database for riverine suspended sediment composition. By compiling and providing the database GloRiSe, we close this gap.
Perspectives
The first version of GloRiSe is a huge step forward as it provides - for the first time - a wealth of metadata that can enable a better spatial and temporal assessment of river sediment composition. Moreover, the compilation and structuring of data acquired by generations of researchers in many different contexts, enables the re-use of these valuable information. I am happy to discuss ideas for future usage or addition of missing data!
Gerrit Müller
Universiteit Utrecht
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Introducing GloRiSe – a global database on river sediment composition, Earth System Science Data, July 2021, Copernicus GmbH,
DOI: 10.5194/essd-13-3565-2021.
You can read the full text:
Resources
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
