Doctoral Dissertation Research: Biogeochemical Processes and Hydrologic Characteristics of Alpine Talus

该博士论文研究将通过将实地调查扩展到包括高海拔距地，来研究生物地球化学和水文对高山流域溶质和流动路径的控制。研究设计整合前人的研究方法，并将创新的同位素研究与空间分布的水文模型相结合，以全面评估高山距骨内发生的水文和生物地球化学过程。将通过物理测量天然同位素含量和实验添加盐示踪剂来量化距骨的水文特征，包括流动路径、停留时间和透过率。利用真空抽放技术对距骨下水流进行密集采样，为距骨地下水化学的时空变化提供了证据。微生物过程及其对地表水的贡献将通过对土下细粒取样进行探索，以确定它们是否在转化融雪化学过程中充当替代土壤。

Davinroy, Thomas C U. of Colorado, Boulder The doctoral dissertation research will examine biogeochemical and hydrologic controls on solutes and flowpaths in alpine watersheds by extending field investigations to include high-elevation talus fields. The research design integrates previous approaches and incorporates innovative isotopic research with spatially distributed hydrologic models to fully evaluate the hydrologic and biogeochemical processes which occur within alpine talus. The hydrologic characteristics of talus, including flowpaths, residence time and transmissivity will be quantified through physical measurement of natural isoptopic content and experimental addition of salt tracers. Intensive sampling of subtalus flow by vacuum evacuation techniques provides evidence of both spatial and temporal transformations of talus groundwater chemistry. Microbial processes and resultant contribution to surface water will be explored by sampling of subtalus fines to determine if they act as surrogate soils in transforming snowmelt chemistry.