From SwissExperiment

BigLink

This project aims at a detailed multidisciplinary study of the initial phase of weathering to obtain a detailed picture of the processes occurring at the biosphere-hydrosphere-geosphere interface and to develop new geochemical tools to study weathering and soil formation processes. The results will be integrated in a numerical hydrological watershed model. The long-term goal is to improve our understanding of basic processes and improve our ability of up-scaling to larger watersheds and to forecast changes in the hydrology and element fluxes of whole watersheds with changing climate. The main part of the field research will be carried out in the forefield of the Damma Glacier, in Canton URI.

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Images

The Damma glacier forefield, the field area of BigLInk. The glacier retreat allows to study a soil chronosequence of about 100 years. Copyright by Stefano Bernasconi, 2007.	Chrisanthemum alpinum a pioneer plant in a very young soil close to the glacier. Suction cups are applied to obtain samples of soil solution to study the effect of plants on weathering rates. Copyright by Stefano Bernasconi, 2007.	Sampling soils in the forefield of the Damma glacier. Copyright by Stefano Bernasconi, 2007.
Runoff station at the outlet of the glacial forefield Damma facing towards Lake Göscheneralp. Copyright by Tobias Jonas, Jan Magnusson, SLF Davos, 2007