Identification of biogeochemical processes leading to acidification of ground- and freshwater systems in Western Australia

该项目旨在确定包气带和地下水中的现代地球化学过程如何有助于产生和维持西澳大利亚州西南部自然发生的极酸性（pH < 3）。我们的研究是由Peiffer等人（2009年）提出的概念模型驱动的，根据该模型，极低pH值的出现与酸性铁循环有关，需要溶解在孔隙沃茨的HCO 3-与SO 42-交换的非地球化学过程。为了验证这一假设，我们将与来自澳大利亚的同事在一个已经建立的现场进行联合实地研究，以研究降雨事件期间溶解物种的动态，并在德国进行矿物学，同位素和微生物分析取样。

This project aims to identify how contemporary biogeochemical processes in both the vadose zone and the ground water contribute to the creation and maintenance of extremely acidic (pH < 3) that occur naturally across the southwest of Western Australia. Our research is driven by the conceptual model proposed in Peiffer et al (2009) according to which the occurrence of extremely low pH values is related to an acidic iron cycle and requires biogeochemical processes exchanging HCO3 - versus SO42- dissolved in the pore waters. To test this hypothesis we will perform a joint field study with colleagues from Australia at an already established field site to study the dynamics of dissolved species during rain events and to perform sampling for mineralogical, isotopic and microbial analysis to performed in Germany.