Collaborative Research: Quantifying the contribution of alpine glacier meltwater to mountain-block recharge using microbiological markers and environmental isotopes

冰川出现在全球各地的山脉中。冰川融化产生的水对人类和其他生物都很重要。这些水中的一部分直接进入溪流，另一些将深入地下，重新补给地下水。目前尚不清楚有多少融水直接流向溪流而不是地下水。该项目使用水化学和生物数据来确定冰川融化时水的去向。该项目检查了山上冰川的水。俄勒冈州的胡德和蒙大拿州冰川国家公园的冰川。该项目正在培养研究生和多个本科生。研究结果将在科学会议上和水资源管理者面前公布。调查结果亦可透过小册子和新闻文章向公众索取。地球上90%以上的高山冰川正在退缩，其中许多冰川将在本世纪内完全融化。关于高山冰川融水对山块内补给和流动的影响的研究很少。该项目试图利用化学和生物方法，确定高山冰川融水相对于季节性雪和雨对山区补给的贡献。这项研究检验了以下假设：1)冰川环境选择独特的生物群，导致高山冰川融水中的脱氧核糖核酸(DNA)指纹有别于季节性的雪和雨；2)高山冰川融水是山脉补给的重要来源，并维持常年流向位于高山冰川下坡的局部和区域尺度的泉水。这项研究评估了DNA作为山脉补给示踪剂的新应用，并提高了检测位于不同地质和地理环境中的高山冰川补给的能力。这项研究培养研究生和多名本科生研究人员，并与水资源管理人员打交道。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Glaciers occur in mountains across the globe. Water from melting glaciers is important to humans and other organisms. Some of this water goes directly to streams while some will flow deep into the ground and refill groundwater. It is not known how much melt-water goes directly to streams versus to groundwater. This project uses water chemistry and biological data to determine where the water goes when a glacier melts. The project examines water from glaciers on Mt. Hood in Oregon and from glaciers in Glacier National Park in Montana. This project is training graduate students and multiple undergraduate students. The results are presented at scientific meetings and to water managers. The results are also available to the public via pamphlets and news articles. More than ninety percent of the Earth's alpine glaciers are in retreat and many of these glaciers will melt completely within this century. Very little research has been conducted on the impacts of alpine glacial meltwater to recharge and flow within the mountain block. This project seeks to identify the contribution of alpine glacial meltwater to mountain recharge relative to seasonal snow and rain using chemical and biological approaches. This research tests the following hypotheses: 1) The glacial environment selects for unique biota resulting in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fingerprints in alpine glacial meltwater that are distinct from seasonal snow and rain; 2) Alpine glacial meltwater is a significant source of mountain recharge and sustains perennial flow to local and regional-scale springs located down-gradient of alpine glaciers. This research assesses the novel application of DNA as a tracer for mountain recharge and increases the ability to detect recharge from alpine glaciers located in different geologic and geographic settings. This study trains graduate students and multiple undergraduate researchers and engages with water managers.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.