Erosion rates and sediment flux within the Potomac River basin quantified over millennial timescales using beryllium isotopes

摘要

Beryllium isotopes measured in detrital river sediment are often used to estimate rates of landscape change at a basin scale, but results from different beryllium isotope systems have rarely been compared. Here, we report measurements of in situ and meteoric Be-10 (Be-10(i) and Be-10(m), respectively) along with measurements of reactive and mineral phases of Be-9 (Be-9(re)ac, and Be-9(min), respectively) to infer long-term rates of landscape change in the Potomac River basin, North America. Using these data, we directly compare results from the two different Be-10 isotope systems and contextualize modern sediment flux from the Potomac River basin to Chesapeake Bay.