Evolving Earth最新文献

{"title":"Impacts of flooding on agricultural practices in Bunkure Local Government Area, Kano State, Nigeria","authors":"Inuwa Sani Sani,&nbsp;Adi Wibowo","doi":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100110","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100110","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Flooding has become one of the key environmental issues that have impacted agricultural productivity in northern Nigeria. This study examines the impacts of recurrent flooding on agricultural practices in Bunkure Local Government Area, Kano State, integrating multi-year satellite-derived Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) analysis, Digital Elevation Model (DEM) terrain assessment, and household survey data. The LULC classifications (2019–2023) based on Landsat data show the presence of considerable Spatio temporal changes in agricultural land, vegetation, bare land and water bodies, which are highly affected by seasonal floods. Terrain analysis also indicates that hydromorphic lowlands in the southern and central parts of the LGA are highly prone to inundation, resulting in prolonged waterlogging of farmlands. The outcomes of the surveys conducted on 346 farmers affirm the prevalence of the effects such as delayed growth of crops, untimely death of crops, changed planting time and low quality of harvests. The findings align with recent studies showing increasing flood frequency and rainfall intensity across northern Nigeria linked to climate variability. In general, flooding has led to massive loss of crops, soil erosion and economic distress particularly to smallholders and vulnerable farmers. The combined spatial and socio-economic analysis indicates evidence that there are changes in the agricultural land availability and productivity in response to the annual floods. The research recommends that flood resistant crop varieties, better drainage systems, and land-use planning should be adopted in minimizing the exposure of farmlands to flooding. Enhancing the early warning system and incorporating local knowledge in line with the contemporary farming practices will boost resiliency in the communities. The study provides context-related observations to enable policy intervention in the case of sustainable agricultural and disaster-risk management in flood-prone rural LGAs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100516,"journal":{"name":"Evolving Earth","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100110"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146078511","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Groundwater quality assessments of phreatic and deeper aquifers of the eastern Palghat, Kerala, Southern India","authors":"K.V. Sarath ,&nbsp;E. Shaji ,&nbsp;M. Thirumurugan ,&nbsp;S.G. Dhanil Dev ,&nbsp;G. Indu ,&nbsp;Ashitha ,&nbsp;Keerthana","doi":"10.1016/j.eve.2025.100104","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eve.2025.100104","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Identification and management of groundwater quality is crucial for maintaining the resources of over-exploited areas in the rain shadow region of the hard rock aquifer, which is essential for sustainable development. This research aims to identify water quality analysis for drinking and agricultural harvest in the crystalline aquifer, located in the eastern Palghat, Kerala, southern India. A groundwater compatibility study was conducted by analysing in situ parameters, major cations, anions, macronutrients, and fluorine in groundwater. Irrigational water quality parameters like Soluble Sodium Percentage (SSP), Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR), and Kelly's Ratio (KR), Permeability Index (PI) and Magnesium Hazard were obtained from 48 samples, 24 from excavated wells and 24 from tube wells (TW) in the exact location. The Water Quality Index (WQI) and irrigation water quality (IWQ) index are utilised due to their high importance in identifying the quality of water resources for irrigation and drinking purposes. Groundwater is the essential source for domestic, agricultural, and industrial purposes in the eastern Palghat, Kerala, southern India. This paper presents geochemical analyses of groundwater collected from phreatic and deeper aquifers of the area. Groundwater quality analyses show a considerable difference in the groundwater chemistry of phreatic and deeper aquifers. Excess fluoride is noted in a few samples. Rainwater harvesting, nanotechnology-based filters and awareness programs are recommended for reliable groundwater management in the study area.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100516,"journal":{"name":"Evolving Earth","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100104"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145841677","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The ichnotaphonomic window in lacustrine subaqueous littoral deposits: an example of bird and mammal footprints from the Miocene of northwest Argentina","authors":"Ricardo N. Melchor ,&nbsp;Víctor H. Contreras ,&nbsp;Silverio F. Feola","doi":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100129","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100129","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study includes the ichnotaxonomic and taphonomic analysis of bird and mammal footprints from an Upper Miocene lacustrine sequence of the San Juan Province, northwestern Argentina. The interval hosting the trace fossils represents the interaction between unconfined fluvial flows and lacustrine deposits. Recorded trace fossils include a diverse assemblage of bird footprints (12 ichnotaxa), mammal footprints (2 ichnotaxa, including a new one), swimming traces (1 ichnotaxa) and invertebrate trace fossils (7 ichnotaxa). This case study is peculiar because of the dominance of bird footprints, of moderate to large size, preserved in full relief (77% of specimens) that are interpreted as shallow to deep depressions left by foraging birds in the subaqueous littoral zone of the lake. This type of preservation of bird footprints is indicative of a subaqueous littoral ichnotaphonomic window in lakes distinct from the “shorebird ichnofacies” and related to the partitioning of shallow-water habitats by waterbirds. Two littoral depth zones are recognized: 1) the shallow littoral (∼5–25 cm) represented by cf. <em>Ornithotarnocia</em> isp., <em>Chraradriipeda</em> isp., <em>Gruipeda</em> isp., <em>Uhangrichnus</em> isp., indeterminate tridactyl footprints, and tridactyl footprints with elongate posterior traces type 1 and 2; and 2) the wading-depth littoral zone (∼25–40/50 cm) that includes cf. <em>Gyeongsangornipes</em> isp. and <em>Phoenicopterichnum</em> isp. The bird assemblage also has footprints preserved in positive hyporelief and negative epirelief (23% of specimens) from the shore margin zone (∼0–5 cm) containing the smaller footprints (<em>Avipeda phoenix</em>, <em>Gruipeda dominguensis</em> and cf. <em>Avipeda circumontis</em>). The latter type of preservation is commonly described in the literature and belongs to the “shorebird ichnofacies”.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100516,"journal":{"name":"Evolving Earth","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100129"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147802696","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessing SWAT and HEC-HMS model efficiency for watershed management in the Atrai-Karatoa River Basin, Bangladesh","authors":"Md. Moniruzzaman ,&nbsp;Badal Mahalder","doi":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100136","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100136","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The use of mathematical models to simulate hydrological methods at catchment level is gaining popularity leading to the development of numerous hydrological models over the years. This study examined the streamflow simulation capabilities of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and the Hydrologic Engineering Centre-Hydrologic Modelling System (HEC-HMS) for the Atrai-Karatoa River Basin (AKRB) in northern Bangladesh. Model setup comprised watershed delineation, parameterization, and calibration &amp; validation based on land use, soil, and topographic data. Both models were calibrated and validated against observed discharge records to assess their performance using statistical indicators.</div><div>During calibration (2017-2019) and validation (2013-2016), the SWAT model displayed a Coefficient of Determination (R²) and a Nash Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) of 0.86 and 0.84, and 0.75 and 0.75, respectively. During the same periods, the HEC-HMS model displayed values of 0.70 and 0.68, and 0.56 and 0.55. Results imply that SWAT captured high flows well, while HEC-HMS was more accurate with medium flows. Both models simulated low flows well, but SWAT outperformed HEC-HMS, especially in dry and wet seasonal flows. The study concludes that SWAT model is more reliable for simulating the hydrological features of the AKRB.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100516,"journal":{"name":"Evolving Earth","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100136"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147951490","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Deciphering soil erosion dynamics in a fluvial island ecosystem of Northeast India: An integrated RUSLE-geospatial approach","authors":"Tilak Prasad Panika ,&nbsp;Dilip Kumar Patgiri ,&nbsp;Prem Kumar Bharteey ,&nbsp;Bipul Deka ,&nbsp;Marami Dutta ,&nbsp;Rituparna Saikia ,&nbsp;Santanu Banerjee ,&nbsp;Jayashree Saha ,&nbsp;Malini Roy Choudhury ,&nbsp;Suman Dutta ,&nbsp;Sudipta Das ,&nbsp;Sumanta Das","doi":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100122","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100122","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil erosion poses a critical threat to the sustainability of fluvial island ecosystems, particularly in dynamic and flood-prone regions such as <em>Majuli</em>, the world's largest inhabited river island in Northeast India. Despite its ecological and cultural significance, spatially explicit assessments of erosion dynamics remain limited. This study aims to (i) quantify the spatial distribution and severity of soil erosion across <em>Majuli</em> and (ii) evaluate the influence of key biophysical factors on erosion variability. We hypothesize that erosion risk exhibits significant spatial heterogeneity driven by rainfall, topography, soil properties, and land-use practices. An integrated Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model coupled with geospatial techniques was applied using 160 GPS-referenced soil samples collected from riverbank locations. Soil loss was estimated using five core RUSLE factors: rainfall erosivity (R), soil erodibility (K), slope length and steepness (LS), cover management (C), and support practices (P), alongside erodibility indices including clay ratio, silt–clay ratio, modified clay ratio, dispersion ratio, erosion ratio, and erosion index. Estimated annual soil loss ranged from 2.58 to 50.88 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹, with a mean of 17.72 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ and standard deviation of 9.83 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹. Dispersion ratio (0.09–0.34), erosion ratio (0.03–0.25), and erosion index (0.05–0.46) indicate moderate to high erodibility across large areas. Approximately 40.32% of the island experiences moderately severe erosion, whereas only 0.02% falls under very low erosion. The results indicate pronounced spatial heterogeneity in erosion risk, highlighting priority zones for targeted conservation. The study demonstrates the robustness of integrating field-based measurements with GIS-enabled RUSLE modeling to support watershed planning, soil conservation strategies, and sustainable land management in vulnerable riverine environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100516,"journal":{"name":"Evolving Earth","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100122"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147709608","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spatio-temporal monitoring and statistical analysis of snow-cover area and land surface temperature in the USRB using geospatial techniques and google earth engine","authors":"Roopa Maurya,&nbsp;Jayant Nath Tripathi,&nbsp;Swarnim,&nbsp;Irjesh Sonker","doi":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100147","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100147","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Land surface temperature is a crucial meteorological parameter that affects the hydrological cycle and the complex nature of snow cover. This study aims to evaluate the effects of global warming by evaluating 36 years (1990–2025) of time series Land Surface Temperature (LST) and Normalised Difference Snow Index (NDSI) data from the Upper Sutlej River Basin (USRB) to determine the trend and slope magnitude of these series. Temperature records from the Indian Meteorological Department are used to validate the NDSI and LST data obtained from Landsat (4–5 TM, Landsat 7 ETM+, and Landsat 8/9 OLI/TIRS). A trend analysis was performed using the non-parametric Mann–Kendall test to assess statistical significance and Sen's slope estimator is used to determine the magnitude of the trend. The Mann-Kendall test, along with Sen's slope estimator, was applied to establish a functional relationship between variables, specifically a linear trend of LST and NDSI data for the studied area. The USRB was found to be significantly warming, with Landsat-derived LST rising at a rate of roughly 0.01-0.02 °C annually and IMD temperature data showing a steady annual increase of roughly 0.03 °C annually. On the other hand, there was a noticeable downward trend in the NDSI based snow covered area. A significant negative correlation (r = −0.80, p &lt; 0.05) corroborated the strong inverse correlation between LST and snow cover, suggesting that rising temperatures are strongly linked to the loss of snow cover. Additionally, there was a significant positive correlation (r = 0.69, p &lt; 0.05) between IMD temperature and Landsat-derived temperature, confirming the consistency of the observed warming pattern. These results highlight the imperative for persistent monitoring and sustainable management of water resources in the region, due to the heightened vulnerability of Himalayan cryospheric systems to climate change. The data indicates a distinct and ongoing warming trend in recent decades, along with its substantial effects on the area climate. A robust concordance between in-situ observations and satellite-derived datasets is indicated by the significant correlation between IMD temperature records and Landsat-derived LST, underscoring the dependability of satellite-based measurements for long-term climate monitoring in mountainous areas.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100516,"journal":{"name":"Evolving Earth","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100147"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148241248","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spatial assessment of groundwater potential using geospatial techniques and analytical hierarchy process (AHP) in a drought-affected river basin of eastern India","authors":"Km Shiwani ,&nbsp;Chandrakesh Maury ,&nbsp;Roohi Rawat ,&nbsp;Alka Singh","doi":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100140","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100140","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Groundwater potential zoning is essential for sustainable water resource management in drought-prone regions. This study aims to delineate groundwater potential zones in the drought-prone Jonk River Basin, part of the Mahanadi River system, where dependence on surface water for domestic, agricultural, and livestock needs necessitates the evaluation of groundwater potential zones as a supplementary resource during periods of water scarcity. To achieve this, multiple groundwater controlling factors, including geomorphology, geology, land use/land cover, rainfall, soil, slope, drainage density, lineament density, and topographic wetness index (TWI), were evaluated. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was employed to assign normalized weights and ranks to these factors and their respective classes, while Weighted Overlay Analysis (WOA) within a GIS environment was used to integrate the thematic layers and generate the groundwater potential zonation map. Sensitivity analysis was performed to evaluate the influence of individual factors on the model output. Model validation was carried out using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, in which the predicted groundwater potential classes were compared with observed seasonal groundwater level fluctuation data. The model performance was quantified using the Area Under the Curve (AUC), derived from the true positive and false positive rates. The results indicate that very good and good groundwater potential zones occupy only 0.24% and 2.10% of the basin, respectively, whereas moderate, poor, and very poor zones account for 14.46%, 79.70%, and 3.50% respectively. Sensitivity analysis revealed slope as the most influential factor, while TWI showed the least influence. The ROC-AUC value of 0.95 demonstrates a very high prediction accuracy of the model. The findings highlight the limited availability of high-potential groundwater zones in the basin, and therefore provide a scientific basis for sustainable groundwater management, targeted extraction, and effective planning in water-scarce regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100516,"journal":{"name":"Evolving Earth","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100140"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147995714","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Quantifying climate-induced non-economic loss and damage in coastal Bangladesh to inform policy","authors":"Shonghomitra Chakroborty,&nbsp;M.A. Rakib","doi":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100138","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100138","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding climate-related loss and damage requires moving beyond economic indicators, as many of the most severe impacts are non-economic, intangible, and difficult to quantify. These non-economic loss and damage (NELD) are often overlooked in both research and policy, particularly in highly climate-vulnerable regions. This study assesses climate-induced NELD in Shyamnagar, a highly exposed coastal area of Bangladesh, and examines how multiple climate-related hazards, including cyclones, storm surges, salinity intrusion, floods, and riverbank erosion—contribute to these losses. A mixed-methods approach was applied, combining semi-structured household surveys (n = 150), the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), and statistical analyses. AHP was used to identify community-level priorities of NELD categories, while Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression were employed to examine relationships between hazards and specific forms of loss. Changes in key indicators were assessed based on respondents’ perceptions over the past decade, relative to baseline conditions. The results reveal substantial impacts across environmental and livelihood systems, with declines in crop production (68.06%) and green aesthetics (53.90%), largely driven by salinity intrusion and riverbank erosion. Significant losses were also observed in health, land security, cultural practices, and social cohesion. Storm surges, salinity intrusion, floods, and riverbank erosion emerged as dominant drivers. These findings highlight hidden losses affecting well-being and resilience, supporting more targeted and equitable climate policy and adaptation strategies. This study provides empirical evidence that can support prioritization of funding under emerging loss and damage financing mechanisms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100516,"journal":{"name":"Evolving Earth","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100138"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147995712","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Source mechanism, seismicity clustering and tectonic implications of the 2025 Mw 7.1 Dingri earthquake, southern Tibet","authors":"Kutubuddin Ansari,&nbsp;Andrean V.H. Simanjuntak,&nbsp;Swati Sharma,&nbsp;Soumyajit Mukherjee","doi":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100168","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100168","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The 2025 Mw 7.1 Dingri earthquake in southern Tibet was a normal faulting related devastating earthquake that occurred on January 07, 2025. We analyze the temporal nature of earthquake activities and the source mechanisms using stochastic moment tensor (MT) inversion via a regional teleseismic network with rotated seismic waveform at a distance up to 4000 km from the epicenter. We used earthquake catalog data from January 2005 up to January 2025 and performed cluster analysis in terms of space-time-depth-magnitude (STDM) time series. The breaks in the time series indicate preshock and aftershock events before and after the Dingri and other earthquakes. The wavelet analysis is utilized to process the logarithmic STDM time series. The co-seismic line-of-sight (LOS) displacement analysis (along the LOS) was also performed using the differential interferometric synthetic aperture radar (DInSAR) technique on the Sentinel-1 pre- and post-earthquake time-series data for the 2025 Dingri earthquake. For DInSAR results, a coherence threshold was set to deduce the misinterpretations in displacement values often caused by the phase decorrelation among the image pairs. The InSAR phase analysis determined ∼0.11 m to 0.44 m of uplift and a subsidence of up to 1.49 m near the epicenter. Results show various mechanisms for Dingri earthquakes, the potential of the proposed STDM model, and a statistical analysis for future predicted earthquakes in any region can be undertaken in the same line.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100516,"journal":{"name":"Evolving Earth","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100168"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148995276","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Heavy metal contamination in water and sediment of a tropical urbanizing landscape: Insights from Akkulam–Veli Lake, southwest coast, India","authors":"Arsha ,&nbsp;Pooja Pradeep ,&nbsp;S.G. Dhanil Dev ,&nbsp;E. Shaji ,&nbsp;P.K. Krishna Prasad ,&nbsp;S. Swetha ,&nbsp;S. Arya ,&nbsp;V. Deepchand ,&nbsp;Mohammed Noohu Nazeer","doi":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100112","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100112","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A comprehensive hydrogeological investigation was conducted to evaluate heavy metal contamination in water and sediments of the Akkulam–Veli Lake system, a rapidly urbanizing coastal landscape in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, southwest India. Decadal land use/land cover (LULC) analysis (2014–2023) over a 7.05 km² area revealed extensive urban expansion, with built-up areas increasing sharply at the expense of vegetation and wetlands, reflecting intense anthropogenic pressure. Water and sediment samples were analyzed for physicochemical parameters and heavy metals using Microwave Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy and Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry, integrated with GIS-based spatial analysis. Sediments exhibited elevated concentrations of Zn (up to 285 mg/kg), Ni (113 mg/kg), Cu (74 mg/kg), Pb (66–260 mg/kg), Cd (1.14–8.21 mg/kg), Fe (255–1755 mg/kg), and Cr (86–241 mg/kg), with lead exceeding permissible limits by up to 6.5 times. Water samples showed Zn concentrations up to 5.6 mg/L, Cd up to 0.24 mg/L, Fe up to 0.37 mg/L, and Cr up to 0.09 mg/L, frequently surpassing drinking-water standards. Pollution indices identified severe contamination hotspots near Parvathy Puthanaar and Kochuveli, closely associated with unplanned urban development, dredging activities, and untreated effluent discharge. Comparison with earlier studies (2012–2014) indicates a marked escalation in heavy metal concentrations, particularly Pb, Cd, and Cr, highlighting intensifying anthropogenic influence. The findings underscore the need for continuous monitoring, stricter regulation of urban discharges, and future studies integrating seasonal variability, contaminant source apportionment, and ecological risk assessment to support sustainable management of tropical urban lake systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100516,"journal":{"name":"Evolving Earth","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100112"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146078512","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}