Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Evidence For Accelerated Weathering And Sulfate Export In High Alpine Environments, John T. Crawford, Eve-Lyn S. Hinckley, M. Iggy Litaor, Janice Brahney, Jason C. Neff

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

High elevation alpine ecosystems—the 'water towers of the world'—provide water for human populations around the globe. Active geomorphic features such as glaciers and permafrost leave alpine ecosystems susceptible to changes in climate which could also lead to changing biogeochemistry and water quality. Here, we synthesize recent changes in high-elevation stream chemistry from multiple sites that demonstrate a consistent and widespread pattern of increasing sulfate and base cation concentrations or fluxes. This trend has occurred over the past 30 years and is consistent across multiple sites in the Rocky Mountains of the United States, western Canada, the European Alps, the Icelandic …