Natural Processes and Anthropogenic Activity in the Indus River Sedimentary Environment in Pakistan: A Critical Review
The Indus River is Asia’s longest river, having its origin in the Tibet Mountain northwest of Pakistan. Routed from northern Gilgit and flowing to the plains, the river passes through several provinces and is connected by numerous small and large tributaries. The river was formed tectonically due to...
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MDPI AG
2021-10-01
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| Series: | Journal of Marine Science and Engineering |
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| author | Usman Khan Hammad Tariq Janjuhah George Kontakiotis Adnanul Rehman Stergios D. Zarkogiannis |
| author_facet | Usman Khan Hammad Tariq Janjuhah George Kontakiotis Adnanul Rehman Stergios D. Zarkogiannis |
| author_sort | Usman Khan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Indus River is Asia’s longest river, having its origin in the Tibet Mountain northwest of Pakistan. Routed from northern Gilgit and flowing to the plains, the river passes through several provinces and is connected by numerous small and large tributaries. The river was formed tectonically due to the collusion of the Indian and Eurasian plates, which is referred to as the Indus suture Plains zone (ISPZ). The geological setting of the study area is mainly composed of igneous and metamorphic rocks. The river passed through a variety of climatic zones and areas, although the predominant climate is subtropic arid and sub arid to subequatorial. Locally and globally, anthropogenic activities such as building, dams, and water canals for irrigation purposes, mining exploration, and industries and factories all affected the physical and chemical behaviors of the sediments in various rivers. The main effect of human activities is the reworking of weathered soil smectite, a chemical weathering indicator that rises in the offshore record about 5000 years ago. This material indicates increased transport of stronger chemically weathered material, which may result from agriculture-induced erosion of older soil. However, we also see evidence for the incision of large rivers into the floodplain, which is also driving the reworking of this type of material, so the signal may be a combination of the two. Sediments undergo significant changes in form and size due to clashing with one another in the high-charge river. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:27:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3e699c5f217f4dc5949bc91ff40c6b6d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1312 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:27:45Z |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Marine Science and Engineering |
| spelling | doaj.art-3e699c5f217f4dc5949bc91ff40c6b6d2023-11-22T18:45:41ZengMDPI AGJournal of Marine Science and Engineering2077-13122021-10-01910110910.3390/jmse9101109Natural Processes and Anthropogenic Activity in the Indus River Sedimentary Environment in Pakistan: A Critical ReviewUsman Khan0Hammad Tariq Janjuhah1George Kontakiotis2Adnanul Rehman3Stergios D. Zarkogiannis4Department of Geology and Geoenvironment, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, 15784 Athens, GreeceDepartment of Geology, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University, Sheringal 18050, PakistanDepartment of Geology and Geoenvironment, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, 15784 Athens, GreeceDepartment of Geography, Government College University, Faisalabad 38000, PakistanDepartment of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3AN, UKThe Indus River is Asia’s longest river, having its origin in the Tibet Mountain northwest of Pakistan. Routed from northern Gilgit and flowing to the plains, the river passes through several provinces and is connected by numerous small and large tributaries. The river was formed tectonically due to the collusion of the Indian and Eurasian plates, which is referred to as the Indus suture Plains zone (ISPZ). The geological setting of the study area is mainly composed of igneous and metamorphic rocks. The river passed through a variety of climatic zones and areas, although the predominant climate is subtropic arid and sub arid to subequatorial. Locally and globally, anthropogenic activities such as building, dams, and water canals for irrigation purposes, mining exploration, and industries and factories all affected the physical and chemical behaviors of the sediments in various rivers. The main effect of human activities is the reworking of weathered soil smectite, a chemical weathering indicator that rises in the offshore record about 5000 years ago. This material indicates increased transport of stronger chemically weathered material, which may result from agriculture-induced erosion of older soil. However, we also see evidence for the incision of large rivers into the floodplain, which is also driving the reworking of this type of material, so the signal may be a combination of the two. Sediments undergo significant changes in form and size due to clashing with one another in the high-charge river.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/9/10/1109environmental sedimentologysediment fluxsediment provenanceclimate change impacthuman roledepositional and erosional history |
| spellingShingle | Usman Khan Hammad Tariq Janjuhah George Kontakiotis Adnanul Rehman Stergios D. Zarkogiannis Natural Processes and Anthropogenic Activity in the Indus River Sedimentary Environment in Pakistan: A Critical Review Journal of Marine Science and Engineering environmental sedimentology sediment flux sediment provenance climate change impact human role depositional and erosional history |
| title | Natural Processes and Anthropogenic Activity in the Indus River Sedimentary Environment in Pakistan: A Critical Review |
| title_full | Natural Processes and Anthropogenic Activity in the Indus River Sedimentary Environment in Pakistan: A Critical Review |
| title_fullStr | Natural Processes and Anthropogenic Activity in the Indus River Sedimentary Environment in Pakistan: A Critical Review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Natural Processes and Anthropogenic Activity in the Indus River Sedimentary Environment in Pakistan: A Critical Review |
| title_short | Natural Processes and Anthropogenic Activity in the Indus River Sedimentary Environment in Pakistan: A Critical Review |
| title_sort | natural processes and anthropogenic activity in the indus river sedimentary environment in pakistan a critical review |
| topic | environmental sedimentology sediment flux sediment provenance climate change impact human role depositional and erosional history |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/9/10/1109 |
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