Collaborative Research: Chemical and Biological Rock Weathering in Central Norway and Arctic Finland

合作研究：挪威中部和芬兰北极地区的化学和生物岩石风化

• 批准号: 0319515
• 负责人: Colin Thorn
• 金额: $ 3.46万
• 依托单位: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2003
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2003-09-01 至 2006-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0319515&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Chemical; Biological; Rock

The scientific study of landscape development in cold regions is subject to the same set of scientific principles as steer our modern view of all landscape development. Nevertheless, understanding of cold region landscapes must incorporate recognition of the importance of glaciation in many locations, as well as embrace the importance of cold temperatures not only associated with glaciation but also with cold environments that are not actively glaciated. There has been a general tendency to believe that chemical processes in cold regions are absent, or at least greatly overshadowed by mechanisms associated with overnight or seasonal freezing. This assessment of the importance of chemical processes is founded on relatively little information, and where modern research has taken up the issue quantitatively, chemical processes have emerged as important. Fieldwork in front of a small glacier in the Jotunheimen Mountains of Norway, and on two hilltops in Arctic Finland has produced two sets of rock samples suitable for analysis using electron micro-analytical techniques, and, in the case of the Finnish samples, suitable for dating using cosmogenic techniques. The analysis of these samples will provide a clear picture of the mechanical, chemical, and biological processes responsible for breaking up the rock in these two cold, but different, environments.Cold regions, which cover a significant portion of the Earth's land surface, are likely to experience significant changes under what, increasingly, appear to be warming climatic conditions. At the same time these fragile regions are experiencing increasing pressures from human settlement, recreation, and natural resource extraction. The net result of these natural and/or man-induced pressures is that cold regions are likely to undergo long-term adjustment while simultaneously experiencing intense short-term impacts. Under such a set of impacts the potential for substantial, if not devastating, environmental problems is very great. However, for reasons associated with their sparse populations and overall difficulty of access, cold, mountainous regions are poorly understood in comparison to many other regions of the world. From both purely scientific and also pragmatic management perspectives it is essential to develop a stronger understanding of the fundamental mechanisms shaping these landscapes. The present research contributes directly to knowledge of the processes disrupting rock surfaces in both a high, alpine environment (Norway) and a low Arctic environment (Finland). It is specifically directed at a little-studied topic, chemical breakdown, which on the few occasions it has been systematically studied in cold regions has emerged as much more important than the scientific community generally recognizes.

对寒冷地区景观发展的科学研究与我们对所有景观发展的现代观点所遵循的科学原理相同。 然而，对寒冷地区景观的理解必须认识到许多地方冰川作用的重要性，并认识到低温的重要性，不仅与冰川作用有关，而且与不活跃冰川作用的寒冷环境有关。 人们普遍认为寒冷地区不存在化学过程，或者至少被与夜间或季节性冰冻相关的机制所掩盖。 对化学过程重要性的评估是基于相对较少的信息，而现代研究已经定量地解决了这个问题，化学过程已经变得越来越重要。 在挪威尤通黑门山脉的一个小冰川前和芬兰北极的两个山顶上进行的实地考察产生了两组适合使用电子微分析技术进行分析的岩石样本，并且就芬兰样本而言，适合使用宇宙发生技术进行年代测定。 对这些样本的分析将提供关于在这两种寒冷但不同的环境中导致岩石破裂的机械、化学和生物过程的清晰图像。覆盖地球陆地表面很大一部分的寒冷地区可能会在日益变暖的气候条件下经历重大变化。 与此同时，这些脆弱地区正面临着来自人类住区、娱乐和自然资源开采的越来越大的压力。 这些自然和/或人为压力的最终结果是寒冷地区可能会经历长期调整，同时遭受强烈的短期影响。 在这样的一系列影响下，即使不是毁灭性的，也有可能造成严重的环境问题。 然而，由于人口稀少和总体交通困难等原因，与世界上许多其他地区相比，人们对寒冷山区的了解甚少。 从纯粹科学和务实的管理角度来看，有必要对塑造这些景观的基本机制有更深入的了解。 目前的研究直接有助于了解高山环境（挪威）和低北极环境（芬兰）中岩石表面破坏的过程。 它专门针对一个很少被研究的主题，即化学分解，在寒冷地区进行过系统研究的少数情况下，化学分解的重要性比科学界普遍认识到的要重要得多。