How Upstream Tributaries Affect Downstream Sediment Chemistry

Suspended sediment samples were collected at various locations along the North Branch of the Susquehanna River. Each sample was collected at the stream mouth where the flowing water enters the Susquehanna River. Each sample was filtered to analyze fine (clay-size) particles. The samples were analyzed using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF). This research was an attempt to identify trends in sediment mineralogy and chemistry along the North Branch of the Susquehanna River. Each of the sediment samples contained minerals illite, quartz, and kaolinite. Samples collected from streams flowing over Devonian age bedrock contained one unidentified additional mineral. From this study, the effects of acid mine drainage from the stretch of the river through the Wyoming Valley, Carboniferous age rock, could be observed with increased Fe2O3 values. Additionally, samples from the most upstream locations were enriched in SiO2 which corresponded to Al2O3 decreases. Overall, different sampling techniques may have obscured the expected sampling trends in this study, however, there were several distinct relationships between underlying bedrock geology and mineralogy/chemistry