Impact of Humans on the Flux of Terrestrial Sediment to the Global Coastal Ocean

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2005-04, Vol.308 (5720), p.376-380
• Main Authors: Syvitski, James P. M, Vörösmarty, Charles J, Kettner, Albert J, Green, Pamela
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agriculture; Analysis; Beach erosion; Brackish; Climatic zones; Coastal erosion; coastal water; Coasts; Conservation of Natural Resources; Dams; Databases, Factual; deforestation; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Ecosystem; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Environmental aspects; environmental impact; Exact sciences and technology; Fluvial transport; Freshwater; Geologic Sediments; Human Activities; Human beings; Human influences; Humans; Man; Marine; Marine geology; Modeling; Models, Theoretical; Natural reservoirs; Networks; Observations; Oceans; Oceans and Seas; Pollution, environment geology; River basins; Rivers; Seasons; Seawater; Sediment transport; Sediment yield; Sediments; Soil; Water; water erosion
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.1109454

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.