Collaborative Research: Investigation of the fate and transport of dust-borne trace metals and solutes during snowmelt

合作研究：积雪融化过程中沙尘携带的微量金属和溶质的命运的调查摘要风吹尘有助于微量金属和可溶性盐的山区积雪，在融雪过程中对水质有潜在的负面影响。美国西部山区湖泊的沉积物记录表明，由于人类对沙漠土壤的干扰，过去150年来灰尘沉积增加了五倍，由于气候变化，预计未来会有更多的灰尘。然而，关于灰尘对山溪化学的影响，人们知之甚少。融雪流是美国西部饮用水的主要来源。普罗沃河就是一个很好的例子，为犹他州50%以上的居民供水。本项目调查了乌因塔山上游普罗沃河流域融雪期间粉尘对水质的影响。评估粉尘对山区积雪的贡献，并演示融雪过程中痕量金属和盐的运输途径，有可能延伸到整个山间西部和美国以外的其他山区，包括安第斯山脉，喜马拉雅山脉和欧洲阿尔卑斯山，接受大量的粉尘输入。该项目在以调查为基础的实地演习期间为K-16学生提供外联机会，促进犹他州三大研究机构（犹他州大学、犹他州州立大学和杨百翰大学）研究生的跨校园合作，并通过妇女和少数民族的参与扩大代表性不足的群体的参与。该项目通过详细的实地取样和全面分析，调查融雪过程中粉尘衍生的微量金属和溶质的归宿和迁移。用同位素示踪剂（例如，锶、硼、硫、氧和氢）和混合分析。有机物质促进微量金属运输的作用，从积雪流检查通过应用几种新的分析方法。灰尘沉积的空间异质性是量化的，并通过连续的浸出实验，其特征在于在灰尘中的微量金属的可用性。普罗沃河流域是一个理想的位置，调查灰尘对水化学的影响，因为它是由相对简单的硅质岩基岩，允许明确的观测外源性灰尘，并配备了良好的仪器与大气和水生监测站从创新城市过渡和干旱地区水文可持续性（iUTAH）由NSF资助的观测站。地质环境和广泛的仪器提供了一个前所未有的机会，探索积雪融化过程中粉尘沉积对流化学的影响。

Collaborative Research: Investigation of the fate of dust-borne trace metals and solutes during snowmeltAbstractWind-blown dust contributes trace metals and soluble salts to mountain snowpack, with potential negative impacts on water quality during snowmelt. Sediment records from mountain lakes in the western U.S. suggest that dust deposition has increased five-fold over the past 150 years due to human disturbance of desert soils, with more dust expected in the future due to climate change. Little is known, however, concerning the impacts of dust on the chemistry of mountain streams. Snowmelt-fed streams are a primary source of drinking water in the western U.S. The Provo River is a prime example of this, supplying water to over 50% of the residents of Utah. This project investigates the effects of dust on water quality during snowmelt in the upper Provo River watershed in the Uinta Mountains. Assessment of dust contributions to mountain snowpack and demonstration of pathways of trace metal and salt transport during snowmelt have the potential to extend across the Intermountain West and beyond the U.S. to other mountainous areas receiving substantial dust input, including the Andes, Himalayas, and European Alps. This project provides K-16 student outreach opportunities during inquiry-based field exercises, fosters cross-campus collaborations for graduate students at Utah's three major research institutions (University of Utah, Utah State University, and Brigham Young University), and broadens participation of underrepresented groups by involving women and minorities. The project investigates the fate and transport of dust-derived trace metals and solutes during snowmelt building from detailed field sampling and comprehensive analyses. Dust contributions to stream solute budgets during snowmelt are quantified with isotopic tracers (e.g., strontium, boron, sulfur, oxygen and hydrogen) and mixing analyses. The role of organic matter-facilitated trace-metal transport from snowpack to streams is examined through application of several novel analytical methods. Spatial heterogeneity in dust deposition is quantified, and the availability of trace metals in dust is characterized via sequential leaching experiments. The Provo River watershed is an ideal location for investigating impacts of dust on water chemistry because it is underlain by relatively simple siliciclastic bedrock that permits clear observations of exogenous dust and is well instrumented with atmospheric and aquatic monitoring stations from the Innovation Urban Transitions and Aridregion Hydro-sustainability (iUTAH) observatory funded by NSF. The geological setting and extensive instrumentation provide an unprecedented opportunity to explore the impacts of dust deposition on stream chemistry during snowmelt.