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Exploring the possibility to detect recent temporal changes in highly disturbed sedimentary records through sampling repetitions and core comparisons of porosity and sand content

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Abstract

Dating of sediment cores in dynamic environments (such as tropical coastal lagoons) is often impossible to achieve, due to the difficulty to recover continuous and undisturbed records. Detailed temporal definition of environmental changes cannot be assured, but there is the possibility that information retained in such sediments can still provide useful insights on local or large-scale sedimentary dynamics, when a specific strategy is adopted. This latter consists in repeated core samplings at the same location and in the comparison of core profiles for basic and easily measurable parameters (porosity and sand content). This approach was tested on sediment cores, collected repeatedly during the period 2005–2010, at the same site of the Thi Nai Lagoon (central Vietnam). The proposed procedure was able to evidence the impact on lagoon sediments of activities linked to the construction of industrial settlements in the area, with dredging removing a consistent sediment layer from 2005 to 2008 and waste dumping providing additional sediment input in the following period. Simple statistic confirmed this scenario, together with core profiles of PCBs, As, Cd, Pb, and Zn. The procedure represents a simple tool to study coastal dynamics in places where the level of accuracy of traditional sediment radiodating cannot be reached. Several ameliorations are suggested in order to help developing the monitoring of sedimentary processes in poorly studied areas.

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Acknowledgments

Funds for this work were provided by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs–Directorate General for Cultural Cooperation and Promotion (MAE-DGCCP), the Vietnamese Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) and the Italian scientific institutions involved in the research, in the framework of a bilateral project and the VAST06.03/14-15 project. This is contribution No. 1868 from the Institute of Marine Sciences, Bologna (Italy).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Marine Sciences, section of Bologna, National Research Council, via Gobetti 101, 40129, Bologna, Italy

    S. Giuliani, L. G. Bellucci, S. Romano & M. Frignani

  2. Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, University of Venice, Dorsoduro 2137, 30123, Venice, Italy

    R. Piazza & M. Vecchiato

  3. Institute for the Dynamic of Environmental Processes, section of Venice, National Research Council, Dorsoduro 2137, 30123, Venice, Italy

    R. Piazza & C. Turetta

  4. Marine Geo-environment Department, Institute of Marine Environment and Resources, 246 Danang Street, Hai Phong City, Vietnam

    D. H. Nhon

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  1. S. Giuliani
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  2. L. G. Bellucci
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  7. D. H. Nhon
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Correspondence to S. Giuliani.

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Giuliani, S., Bellucci, L.G., Romano, S. et al. Exploring the possibility to detect recent temporal changes in highly disturbed sedimentary records through sampling repetitions and core comparisons of porosity and sand content. Environ Monit Assess 187, 480 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-015-4702-4

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