A Study of sediment movements in mountainous catchments by beryllium isotopes analysis

Ikemi, Hiroaki*; Pachri, H.*; Kokubu, Yoko; Mitani, Yasuhiro*; Kuroki, Takahito*

One of issues in the comprehensive river-sediment management is to develop how to estimate a sediment production from a mountainous stream. In this study, beryllium isotopes of quartz extracted from sediment samples have been analyzed by JAEA-AMS-TONO to clarify a sediment dynamics in mountain streams. The sediment samples have been collected at four riverbeds and one hillslope in two different sub-catchments (A and B) of a Mesozoic granitic block located in the Umi-kawa river basin, Fukuoka. The sample of the catchment B shows a little bit higher value in Be-content than those of catchment A. This result indicates that the river sediment in the catchment B includes quartz grains that have been exposed on a ground surface for a long time compared with the catchment A. It is also possible that the river sediment in the catchments A contains more landslide materials because the landslide materials, which have come from a deeper part, might have a lower value in Be-content.