Articles | Volume 22, issue 20
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-6067-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-6067-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
24 Oct 2025
Research article |
| 24 Oct 2025
| 24 Oct 2025
Quantifying the agricultural footprint on the silicon cycle: insights from silicon isotopes and Ge∕Si ratios
Institut de physique du globe de Paris, Université Paris Cité, CNRS, 75005 Paris, France
Louis Derry
Institut de physique du globe de Paris, Université Paris Cité, CNRS, 75005 Paris, France
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
Julien Bouchez
Institut de physique du globe de Paris, Université Paris Cité, CNRS, 75005 Paris, France
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Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 347–365, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-347-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-347-2024, 2024
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Through a river cross-section, we show that fluvial organic carbon in the lower Huanghe has clear vertical and lateral heterogeneity in elemental and isotopic signals. Bank erosion supplies terrestrial organic carbon to the fluvial transport. Physical erosion of aged and refractory organic carbon, including radiocarbon-dead organic carbon source from the biosphere, from relatively deep soil horizons of the Chinese Loess Plateau contributes to fluvial particulate organic carbon in the Huanghe.
Yutian Ke, Damien Calmels, Julien Bouchez, and Cécile Quantin
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 4743–4755, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-4743-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-4743-2022, 2022
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In this paper, we introduce the largest and most comprehensive database for riverine particulate organic carbon carried by suspended particulate matter in Earth's fluvial systems: 3546 data entries for suspended particulate matter with detailed geochemical parameters are included, and special attention goes to the elemental and isotopic carbon compositions to better understand riverine particulate organic carbon and its role in the carbon cycle from regional to global scales.
Pierre Nevers, Julien Bouchez, Jérôme Gaillardet, Christophe Thomazo, Delphine Charpentier, Laëticia Faure, and Catherine Bertrand
Earth Surf. Dynam., 9, 487–504, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-487-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-487-2021, 2021
Quentin Charbonnier, Julien Bouchez, Jérôme Gaillardet, and Éric Gayer
Biogeosciences, 17, 5989–6015, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-5989-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-5989-2020, 2020
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The abundance and isotope composition of the trace metal barium (Ba) allows us to track and quantify nutrient cycling throughout the Amazon Basin. In particular, we show that the Ba biological fingerprint evolves from that of a strong net nutrient uptake in the mountainous area of the Andes towards efficient nutrient recycling on the plains of the Lower Amazon. Our study highlights the fact that the geochemical signature of rock-derived nutrients transported by the Amazon is scarred by life.
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Short summary
Silicon (Si) is essential for ecosystem health and Earth's climate, yet human activities such as agriculture have significantly disrupted its natural cycle. In a French agricultural catchment, we found that crop harvesting removes most of the Si released from rocks – 1 to 4 times more than the dissolved Si transport downstream by rivers. Using geochemical tools, including Si isotopes and germanium-silicon ratio, we traced Si cycling and highlighted the impact of agriculture on Si exports.
Silicon (Si) is essential for ecosystem health and Earth's climate, yet human activities such as...
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