Determination of Magnetic Susceptibility and Metal Enrichment Sediments Traps of High Altitude Himalayan Lake, The Chandratal Spiti, Himachal Pradesh, India

Abstract

Abstract High Altitude Lake have a complex mechanism because they are influenced by glacial climatic conditions, weathering of bedrocks and river transportation and deposition, which causes enrichment of metal concentration and magnetic components in the zone. The present study investigated the magnetic properties and their relation between geochemistry of 11 surface sediment samples and 01 core sediment sample in the High Altitude Himalayan Lake, The Chandratal Spiti. The Geoaccumulation Index of the all metals concentration shows extremely high values than standard ranges > 5 (extremely polluted). The Magnetic susceptibility of χLF substantial higher at surface sampling point 8 and core sediment at depth of 42 to 44 cm and 80 to 82 cm. Simultaneously the χFD% (< 2% - No super paramagnetic grains/multi domain grain size) shows drastically decrease at χLF maximum points. With the XRD mineralogy analysis shows mostly Zircon, Illite and Quartz minerals proves the lake sedimentology. The χLF / χFD ratio were found to be an obvious parameter for identifying areas of sediment traps and metal enrichment in the surface sediment and temporal sediments of High Altitude Lake. The high χLF / χFD at surface sampling point 8 and at depth as 42 to 44 cm and 84 to 86 cm probably arose because the point is in large magnetic sediment traps zone. The Pb210 and Cs137 has linearly correlated with the χLF / χFD sediment trapped peak of the core sediment at the depth 42 to 44 cm infers the age as 1991 and 1993 years.