Sediment Dynamics in Lacustrine Environments

The dynamics of sediment in lake basins result from the interplay of hydrodynamic forces, biogeochemical processes and climatic or anthropogenic drivers. Suspended particles derived from catchment erosion, biological productivity and atmospheric deposition are transported into lakes, where water-column stratification and mixing govern their distribution and ultimate deposition. Seasonal cycles often produce finely laminated sequences, known as varves, that record environmental variation at annual resolution. Early diagenetic transformations within the sediment column, influenced by redox conditions and organic matter supply, alter mineralogy and geochemical signatures, which are preserved as proxies of past conditions. Understanding these processes is vital for reconstructing palaeoenvironmental histories, assessing sediment-bound contaminants and guiding management of water quality, carbon sequestration and nutrient budgets in freshwater ecosystems worldwide.

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Research from all publishers

A decade-long monitoring study in a hardwater eutrophic lake in northeast Poland combined multiparameter sonde measurements, sediment trapping and hydrochemical surveys to document links between meteorological forcing, limnological processes and varve formation. This dataset has facilitated modelling of physical and biogeochemical controls on seasonal sediment fluxes and improved calibration of high-resolution sediment records. In the Swiss Alps, in situ hyperspectral imaging of cores from a meromictic basin has been validated against pigment extractions, demonstrating that rapid, non-destructive spectral scanning can resolve decadal to millennial shifts in oxygenic and anoxygenic phototrophic communities. This advance offers a powerful tool for reconstructing changes in lake redox regimes and stratification. A geochemical and mineralogical investigation of a tropical municipal lake in central Africa has elucidated early diagenetic pathways under oxic and anoxic conditions. Sequential extraction and statistical analysis of major elements revealed spatial variability in diagenesis linked to organic matter mineralisation and redox potential, informing interpretations of sedimentary records in similar basins.

Sediment Dynamics in Lacustrine Environments publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in sediment dynamics in lacustrine environments across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Varve: A pair or couplet of sediment laminae deposited over one year, preserving annual environmental signals.

Sediment trap: A device deployed in the water column to collect settling particles for quantifying sediment fluxes.

Early diagenesis: Chemical and physical alterations of sediments occurring shortly after deposition, including organic matter mineralisation and mineral transformations.

Hyperspectral imaging: A non-destructive scanning technique that records detailed spectral information across many narrow wavelength bands to identify sedimentary constituents.

References

1. Investigating limnological processes and modern sedimentation at Lake Żabińskie, northeast Poland: a decade-long multi-variable dataset, 2012–2021. Earth System Science Data (2023).
2. Hyperspectral imaging sediment core scanning tracks high-resolution Holocene variations in (an)oxygenic phototrophic communities at Lake Cadagno, Swiss Alps. Biogeosciences (2023).
3. Geochemical balance of the mineral fraction and statistical analyzes of the Ebolowa municipal lake’s sediments (central Africa): Implication for early diagenesis process. Heliyon (2023).