Geochemistry and isotope geochemistry of rivers

The dissolved and particulate material transported by large rivers provide a spatially-integrated view of the chemical and physical evolution of landscapes. They transport the products of chemical weathering to the oceans, including CO₂ taken up from the atmosphere, and represent one of the main input fluxes to the dissolved pool of the oceans, including elements essential for life. River chemistry is increasingly perturbed by human activity, requiring the deconvolution of natural and anthropogenic impacts. Our group has been closely involved in the quantification of this transport vector, providing the starting point for modern and past mass balance between sources and sinks to the ocean. We focus, in particular, on trace metals and their stable isotope systems.