Assessing the influence of lithology on weathering indices of Changjiang river sediments

• Major and trace elements are reported for the suspended sediments of the Changjiang basin.
• We examine the relationships between weathering intensity and climatic parameters.
• Cross-relationships between weathering and igneous differentiation indices are highlighted.
• We decipher the effects of lithology on the apparent intensity of weathering.

We present major and trace element data in suspended particulate matter (SPM) collected in the Changjiang main channel and its tributaries. Suspended sediments are derived from a mafic source related to the Emeishan Large Igneous Province (ELIP) in the Upper Reach and from a more felsic source in the Middle/Lower Reaches. The difference in chemical composition between the two sources has a strong influence on the apparent weathering intensity. Although the apparent loss of soluble elements follows a climatic gradient from the Upper Reach to the Lower Reach, the co-variation of weathering indices with different proxies for igneous differentiation suggests that a lithologic control cannot be ruled out. By taking into account the variability in chemical composition of the parent rocks, we show that river suspended sediments from the upper reach may have not experienced less intense chemical weathering than those transported by rivers from the Lower/Middle Reaches characterized by higher runoff and surface temperature. We argue that the relationships observed for different indices of weathering with climate are probably an artifact and are mainly driven by the change in chemical composition of the sediment's parent-rocks.