Horizon 1 1 17 ACL : Articles dans des revues avec comité de lecture répertoriées par l'AERES Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 6955-6970 2011 fdi:010054160 ENG Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 0016-7037 ISI:000296579600014 22 10.1016/j.gca.2011.08.038 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010054160 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/intranet/publi/2011/11/010054160.pdf 75 Horizon (IRD) The vertical variability in mineralogical, chemical and isotopic compositions observed in large river suspended sediments calls for a depth-integration of this variability to accurately determine riverine geochemical fluxes. In this paper, we present a method to determine depth-integrated chemical particulate fluxes of large rivers, based on river sampling along depth-profiles, and applied to the Amazon Basin lowland tributaries. The suspended particulate matter (SPM) concentration data from depth-profiles is modeled for a number of individual grain size fractions using the Rouse model, which allows to predict the grain size distribution of suspended sediment throughout the whole river cross-section. Then, using (1) the relationship between grain size distribution and the Al/Si ratio (2) relationships between the Al/Si ratio and the chemical concentrations, the chemical composition of river sediment is predicted throughout the river cross-section, and integrated to yield the depth-integrated chemical particulate flux for a number of chemical elements (e. g. Si, Al, Fe, Na, REEs, ... ). For elements such as Al, Fe, REEs, Th, the depth-integrated flux is around twice as high as the one calculated from river surface sample characteristics. For Na and Si, the depth-integrated flux is three times higher than the "surface" estimate, due to the enrichment of albite and quartz at the bottom of the river. Depth-integrated Sr-87/Sr-86 composition of suspended sediment, also predictable using this method, differs by more than 10(-3) from the surface sample composition. Finally, potential implications of depth-integrated estimates of Amazon sediment chemistry are explored. Depth-integration of particulate Sr-87/Sr-86 isotopic ratios is necessary for a reliable use of Sr isotopes as a provenance tracer. The concept of steady-state weathering of a large river basin is revisited using depth-integrated sediment composition. This analysis shows that, in the Amazon Basin river, the previously observed discrepancy between (1) weathering intensities of channel surface sediment and (2) silicate-derived dissolved fluxes is only slightly accounted for by the vertical variability of suspended sediment weathering intensities. This observation confirms that most large rivers basins are not eroding at steady-state. 064 ; 062 UR234