Collaborative Research: Application of Fe and Zn isotopes to fingerprint, track, and quantify metal fluxes in streams and groundwater in alpine watersheds

合作研究：应用铁和锌同位素对高山流域溪流和地下水中的金属通量进行指纹识别、跟踪和量化

• 批准号: 0838120
• 负责人: David Borrok
• 金额: $ 19.44万
• 依托单位: University of Texas at El Paso
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-05-01 至 2013-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0838120&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Application; Fe; Zn

Collaborative Research: Application of Fe and Zn Isotopes to Fingerprint, Track, and Quantify Metal Fluxes in Streams and Groundwater in Alpine WatershedsAbstractAlpine watersheds ultimately support the drinking, agricultural, and industrial water needs for most of the western United States, and are critical sources of water worldwide. A key concern in many alpine watersheds is metal contamination, either from abandoned mining operations or from natural sources. In order to design and prioritize useful water management and remediation strategies, we need to identify important metal sources and understand how metal loads change over different spatial and temporal scales. We will attack this problem in a new way - by using the emerging tools of Fe and Zn isotopes to fingerprint metal sources and to identify metal transport processes in mountain catchments impacted by acidic, metal-rich waters. We have framed this investigation to advance scientific understanding in three main areas: 1) Distinguishing between Fe and Zn loads that are attributable to groundwater discharge to surface-water as opposed to surface runoff, 2) Distinguishing between anthropogenic and natural sources of Fe and Zn, and 3) Correlating seasonal changes in Fe and Zn isotopes with hydrogeochemical changes. We will complete our project by integrating our findings into a conceptual model for evaluating metal contamination in alpine waters. Our research plan includes targeted field sampling of waters (both dissolved and suspended loads) and rocks in Prospect and Handcart Gulches in Colorado, and complementary lab experiments with sulfide-rich mineral separates. Both field sites are contaminated with metals and include remarkable access to groundwater through existing networks of monitoring wells. We will also take advantage of differences in metal sources (anthropogenic vs. natural) and in dissimilar groundwater-surface water relationships in these watersheds to test our hypotheses. Our proposal is collaborative, combining the expertise and resources within the U. S. Geological Survey with PI Borrok and students in the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). Our work will specifically broaden participation from underrepresented students already at UTEP. UTEP is the only research-intensive doctoral university in the U.S. with a Mexican-American majority student population. To further enhance educational opportunities, we have partnered with the Mountain Studies Institute, an independent research/education institution and alpine field station in Silverton, Colorado. We will utilize the MSI?s boarding, field laboratory, and educational facilities for our field work in Prospect Gulch. Partnerships with the USGS and MSI will allow students at UTEP access to cutting-edge equipment/facilities and to participate in a broad range of research experiences.

合作研究：应用铁和锌同位素指纹，跟踪和定量的金属通量在溪流和地下水在阿尔卑斯山流域AbstractAlpine流域最终支持饮用水，农业和工业用水的需求，美国西部大部分地区，是世界各地的水的关键来源。许多高山流域的一个关键问题是金属污染，无论是从废弃的采矿作业或自然来源。为了设计和优先考虑有用的水资源管理和修复策略，我们需要确定重要的金属来源，并了解金属负荷在不同的空间和时间尺度上的变化。我们将以一种新的方式来解决这个问题-通过使用新兴的铁和锌同位素工具来识别金属来源，并确定受酸性，富含金属的沃茨影响的山区流域中的金属迁移过程。我们已经制定了这项调查，以促进科学的理解，在三个主要领域：1）区分铁和锌负荷，可归因于地下水排放到地表水，而不是地表径流，2）区分人为和自然来源的铁和锌，和3）相关的季节性变化，铁和锌同位素与水文地球化学变化。我们将通过将我们的发现整合到一个评估高山沃茨金属污染的概念模型中来完成我们的项目。我们的研究计划包括在科罗拉多的前景和手推车峡谷对沃茨（溶解和悬浮负荷）和岩石进行有针对性的现场采样，以及对富含硫化物的矿物分离物进行补充实验室实验。这两个场地都受到金属污染，而且通过现有的监测威尔斯网络可以大量获取地下水。我们还将利用这些流域中金属来源（人为与自然）的差异以及不同的地下水与地表水关系来测试我们的假设。我们的建议是合作性的，结合了美国内部的专业知识和资源。S.与PI Borrok和德克萨斯大学埃尔帕索分校地质科学系的学生一起进行地质调查。我们的工作将特别扩大已经在UTEP代表性不足的学生的参与。UTEP是美国唯一一所研究密集型博士大学，拥有墨西哥裔美国人占多数的学生人口。为了进一步提高教育机会，我们与山区研究所，一个独立的研究/教育机构和高山野外站在西尔弗顿，科罗拉多合作。我们将使用MSI？为我们在前景峡谷的实地工作提供食宿、实地实验室和教育设施。与USGS和MSI的合作伙伴关系将使UTEP的学生能够使用尖端设备/设施，并参与广泛的研究经验。