RUI: Collaborative Research: How does changing glacial coverage affect the transport and fate of DOM and nutrients in coastal watersheds on the Gulf of Alaska?

RUI：合作研究：冰川覆盖范围的变化如何影响阿拉斯加湾沿海流域 DOM 和营养物的运输和命运？

• 批准号: 0838587
• 负责人: Eran Hood
• 金额: $ 16.82万
• 依托单位: University of Alaska Southeast Juneau Campus
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-04-15 至 2013-03-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0838587&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RUI; Collaborative; Research; How; does

Glacier thinning rates along the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) are commonly as high as 6-8 m yr-1. This rapid glacial recession has important implications for coastal watershed hydrology and biogeochemistry because the loss of glacier ice decreases hydrologic storage and dramatically alters catchment landcover by exposing new land to the process of primary succession. The ecological development of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems following deglaciation has been explored extensively, however there has been very little research on how landcover change will alter material delivery into and through the river network to coastal estuaries. This project will fill this critical knowledge gap by evaluating how glacial recession is altering hydrologic and biogeochemical processes in coastal watersheds in southeastern Alaska. In particular, our research will develop a comprehensive understanding of how the speciation, fate and transport of riverine nutrients and dissolved organic matter (DOM) will be altered by ongoing glacial retreat. Weekly and storm sampling combined with continuous discharge measurements will provide the first detailed and complete comparison of nutrient and DOM yields between paired glacial and non-glacial watersheds. Continuous measurements of discharge, oxygen, temperature and turbidity will be used to quantify the effects of glacial meltwater on hydrologic and physical parameters. Experimental approaches (laboratory and field-scale) combined with longitudinal surveys and stream tracers will be used to elucidate the fate of nutrients and DOM during downstream transport. Finally, longitudinal synoptics and source sampling will also be used to access the primary landscape sources of nutrients and carbon to the stream. Ultimately, project findings will provide new insights into how land-to-ocean fluxes of organic and inorganic nutrients are being altered by glacial recession along the GOA and in other glaciated coastal regions.The project will provide laboratory and field research opportunities for undergraduates at the University of Alaska Southeast (UAS), a small, undergraduate university with a high (16%) enrollment of native Alaskan students. Additionally, the project will provide training for one graduate student and one post-doctoral researcher. The integration of undergraduate students in this research project will provide a framework for students and researchers to cooperatively investigate important linkages among climate, landcover change, and hydrological and biogeochemical processes in coastal watersheds. In addition, the project will strengthen an existing partnership between scientists at UAS and naturalists at the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center who will work collaboratively to incorporate project results into an interpretive display at the center. The Mendenhall Glacier is the most visited glacier in the United States and hosts over 300,000 visitors each year and thus provides a unique and effective opportunity for public outreach and education related to the findings of this project. Finally, a science educator from Montgomery County, VA will partake in field work during one of the summers. The science educator will bring their experience into the local classrooms and share their experience with their peers.

阿拉斯加湾(GOA)的冰川变薄速度通常高达6-8米/年。这种迅速的冰川衰退对沿海流域水文学和生物地球化学具有重要影响，因为冰川冰的丧失减少了水文蓄积量，并使新的土地暴露在初级演替过程中，从而极大地改变了集水区的土地覆盖。冰川消融后陆地和水生生态系统的生态发展得到了广泛的探索，但关于土地覆盖变化如何改变进入和通过河网输送到沿海河口的物质的研究很少。该项目将通过评估冰川衰退如何改变阿拉斯加东南部沿海流域的水文和生物地球化学过程来填补这一关键的知识空白。特别是，我们的研究将全面了解正在进行的冰川消退将如何改变河流营养物质和溶解有机物(DOM)的形态、命运和运输。每周和风暴采样结合连续流量测量，将首次对成对的冰川和非冰川流域的养分和DOM产量进行详细和完整的比较。对流量、氧气、温度和浊度的连续测量将用于量化冰川融水对水文和物理参数的影响。将使用实验方法(实验室和现场规模)结合纵向调查和河流示踪剂来阐明营养物质和DOM在下游运输过程中的命运。最后，还将使用纵向概貌和来源采样来获取河流中营养物质和碳源的主要景观来源。最终，项目发现将提供新的见解，了解果阿冰川衰退如何改变有机和无机营养物质从陆地到海洋的通量。该项目将为阿拉斯加东南大学(UAS)的本科生提供实验室和实地研究机会。UAS是一所小型本科大学，阿拉斯加本地学生的入学率很高(16%)。此外，该项目将为一名研究生和一名博士后研究员提供培训。将本科生纳入这一研究项目将为学生和研究人员合作调查气候、土地覆盖变化以及沿海流域的水文和生物地球化学过程之间的重要联系提供一个框架。此外，该项目将加强UAS的科学家和门登霍尔冰川游客中心的博物学家之间的现有伙伴关系，他们将合作将项目结果纳入中心的解释性展示中。门登霍尔冰川是美国游客最多的冰川，每年接待30多万游客，因此为公众宣传和与该项目的结果相关的教育提供了一个独特而有效的机会。最后，一位来自弗吉尼亚州蒙哥马利县的科学教育工作者将在其中一个夏天参加实地考察工作。科学教育者将把他们的经验带到当地的课堂上，并与他们的同龄人分享他们的经验。