PIKEWELL BURN TUFA, PONT VALLEY, DIPTON, CO DURHAM Maurice Tucker (Earth Sciences, University of Bristol)

88 Barrages developed along 750 metres of the Pikewell Burn (map from David Marrs)

View to Derwent Valley; Pikewell Burn in valley to right, meeting the River Pont ~1000 m beyond

Pikewell Burn entering River Pont, which eventually meets the River Derwent, near Hamsterley Mill.

Last few barrages (87-88)

Aphid / chironomid larvae in tubes on tufa

Insect larvae using sand grains for protection.

Liverworts dominate the tufa; moss is subordinate

Liverworts

Liverwort tufa (coated leaves) and calcified tubes from rootlets or insect larvae

Liverwort tufa

Liverwort and moss tufa

Liverwort and moss tufa

Tufa formed around rootlets in bank of stream through a cyanobacterial biofilm.

Cut section of rootlet tufa show thick crust of calcite.

* * * * *
100

* * * * * Water samples from R. Pont & barrages 2, 9, 13, 30, 45, 55, 62, 77, 82, above 88, 50m below dam.

Water analyses courtesy of Prof Tim Burt and Martin West (Geography Dept, Durham) on Dionex. Downstream calcium in water
120.00

Pikewell Burn barrages

100.00

80.00
calcium (ppm)

first tufa barrage

R. Pont

60.00

40.00

20.00

0.00 0 20 40 60 downstream right to left 80 100 120

There is a clear downstream decrease in the Ca content from the extraction of CaCO3 at the barrages. Location of samples on x-axis refers to barrage number. 0-100 approx 750 metres.

Downstream change in DIC

80.0
70.0

Pikewell Burn barrages

60.0

50.0 DIC

40.0

30.0

R. Pont
20.0
10.0

0.0 0 20 40 60 downstream right to left 80 100 120

There is a clear downstream decrease in the dissolved inorganic carbon content from the extraction of CaCO3 at the barrages. Figures on x-axis refer to barrage number. The River Pont has a much lower content of DIC (24) at point 0 on graph.

DIC versus calcium Pikewell Burn

80.0 70.0

Pikewell Burn
60.0 50.0 D I 40.0 C 30.0

R. Pont
20.0 10.0 0.0 0.00 20.00 40.00 60.00 calcium (ppm) 80.00 100.00 120.00

Clear co-variance of Ca and DIC from precipitation of tufa downstream.

Downstream change in pH
8.30 8.20 8.10 8.00 pH 7.90 7.80 7.70 7.60

Pikewell Burn barrages

R. Pont

above first tufa

20

40

60
downstream right to left

80

100

120

Where CaCO3 precipitation is taking place pH is around 8.2; above tufa barrages, pH lower: 7.7, 7.89 and in River Pont: 7.85. Figures on x-axis refer to barrage number.

WATER ANALYSES FROM NE ENGLAND

Site Gibside Thornley R. Derwent, Gibside Fluoride 0.06 0.05 0.4 Chloride 70 106 35 Nitrate 2 4 2 Sulphate 267 258 123 Bicarb 203 242 1400 660 Conductiv

Allensford, Consett
R. Derwent, Consett Romaldkirk, Tees River Tees

0.48
0.24 0 0.07

70.5
15 25 7

12
1.5 22 1

69
1.7 10 4

134
45 99 31 580 144

R. Wear Durham
Wear side-streams North Stoke Cotsw Buxton Water

0.3
0.4 0.03

61
140 13 37

11
7 45 0.1

29
45 21 13

126
104 92 248

508
770

Pikewell Burn River Pont

25 43

0.2 0.4

92 71

Water analyses: anions Thornley, Gibside, Pikewell: high sulphate, bicarbonate, conductivity. Low nitrate

Site Gibside Thornley

Sodium 28 60

Potassium Magnesium Calcium 7 8 56 51 93 122

DIC 40 48

DOC 1.6 1

R. Derwent, Gibside
Allensford, Consett R. Derwent, Consett Romaldkirk, Tees

43
45 10 13

9
14 2 1.6

21
11 3 8

63
53 13 33 19 6 25 20 2 1 3 4

Greta stream
River Tees R. Wear Durham Wear side streams

26
4 41 80

6
0.3 5 4

33
1 15 11

44
13 41 36

North Stoke Cotsw

Buxton Water

5
24

0.5
1

1.5
19

52
55

Pikewell Burn River Pont

16 27

6.5 6.2

67 51

96 85

65 24

Water analyses: cations Thornley, Gibside, Pikewell: high calcium and magnesium; high DIC (dissolved inorganic carbon, HCO3).

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF TUFA

Site Thornley tufa CaCO3 90% Mg 4000 Na 900 K 750 Si 5500 Al 3000

Sunderland pearl
Sunbiggin moss tufa Malham moss tufa

98%
100% 100%

3300
1200 144

2100
435 34

280
22 3

400
0 0

290
260 0

Site
Thornley Sunderland Sunbiggin

Zn
350 765 0

Fe
5000 135 105

Mn
18000 0 0

Sr
730 395 90

Ba
140 160 0

P
150 290 36

Ti
115 0 0

Malham

38

13

85

Trace element content of Thornley tufa compared with Sunderland cave pearl and Sunbiggin & Malham moss tufa. Note the very high contents of cations in the Thornley tufa, especially manganese, iron, zinc, titanium, silicon, aluminium. Tufa normally has a very low cation content (apart from Ca!). One day will analyse Pikewell Burn tufa for trace elements.

Isotope data NE England tufa

Pikewell Burn tufa: Carbon isotopes: 3.33, 4.24 and oxygen isotopes: -6.07, -6.75 ( ).

*
-12 -10 -8

*
-6

Thornley, Gibside, Lily Burn (Lower Derwent Valley)

0 -4 -2 0

-5
carbon

Romaldkirk, Greta, Sunderland, Gordale, Sunbiggin. Allensford (stromat tufa)

-10

-15

-20 oxygen

Cross plot of stable isotope analyses of tufa for carbon and oxygen NOTE BIG DIFFERENCES THORNLEY, GIBSIDE, LILY BURN, PIKEWELL (POSITIVE CARBON) VERSUS OTHERS (NEGATIVE, -6 to -14 & VERY NEGATIVE -16, CARBON), AND ALLENSFORD VERY NEGATIVE OXYGEN (CURIOUS)

Tufa on river cliff, mostly formed with moss, River Pont

Screens of tufa along cliff of River Pont