The Xiamen Symposium on Marine Environmental Sciences (XMAS 2025)

Large river deltas play a pivotal role in the sequestration of organic carbon within sediments, which is crucial for the regulation of atmospheric CO₂ levels and the mitigation of ongoing climate change. However, the impact of human activities on the burial of organic carbon in these deltas remains poorly understood. In this study, we collected two short sediment cores from the Burullus Lagoon, Nile Delta, to shed light on the historical changes in the composition and burial flux of sedimentary organic carbon over the past century. The result shows that the construction of the Aswan High Dam, while reducing the sedimentation rate in the Nile Delta, has resulted in an increase in the burial of organic carbon in the lagoon sediments. This is mainly associated with the improvement in agricultural practices and the substantial input of nutrients after the damming. These insights enhance our understanding of the dynamics of organic carbon burial in deltaic environments and the potential implications of anthropogenic activities on these processes.

Organic carbon burial,Damming,Stable carbon isotope,Lignin phenols,Nile Delta