Sediment Grain Size and Trace Metal Records from 2016-2017 Botswana Flood

Environmental Information Data Centre provides sediment core data from the Notwane Dam in Botswana, collected between November 2017 and February 2018. The dataset contains grain size distributions, organic matter content, and trace metal concentrations for seven shallow cores, analyzing the impact of a major flood event.

Use Cases

• Analyze grain size distribution profiles to identify flood couplets characterized by coarse lags followed by fine-grained materials.
• Assess trace metal distribution of Fe, Zn, Cu, Cr, and Pb to evaluate mobilization during flood and drought cycles.
• Correlate organic matter content, measured via loss on ignition, with sediment layers to understand post-flood biogeochemical changes.
• Model the relationship between sediment properties from seven cores and hydrological events in an arid region.

Strengths

• Data from seven distinct sediment cores provides multiple sampling points for analysis.
• Includes three analytically measured property types: grain size, organic matter, and five trace metals.
• Collection methodology is documented, using a laser diffraction particle size analyzer and a Microwave Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometer.

Limitations

• Limited spatial scope with samples from only one dam site in southern Botswana.
• Small sample size of seven cores may limit statistical power for broad generalizations.
• Temporal coverage is restricted to a snapshot following a specific flood event.

Provenance

Source

Environmental Information Data Centre

Collection Method

Sediment cores collected with a push corer; grain size analyzed by laser diffraction, organic matter by loss on ignition, trace metals by MP-AES.

Time Range

Cores collected between November 2017 and February 2018, studying the 2016-2017 flood.

Freshness

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Geography

Notwane Dam, Upper Limpopo basin, southern Botswana.