| NSF Org: |
EAR Division Of Earth Sciences |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | July 15, 2015 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | June 5, 2017 |
| Award Number: | 1521468 |
| Award Instrument: | Continuing Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Ingrid Padilla
EAR Division Of Earth Sciences GEO Directorate for Geosciences |
| Start Date: | July 15, 2015 |
| End Date: | June 30, 2019 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $269,796.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $269,796.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
FY 2016 = $89,862.00 FY 2017 = $91,827.00 |
| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
A-153 ASB PROVO UT US 84602-1128 (801)422-3360 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
Provo UT US 84602-1231 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): | Hydrologic Sciences |
| Primary Program Source: |
01001617DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT 01001718DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT |
| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.050 |
ABSTRACT
Collaborative Research: Investigation of the fate of dust-borne trace metals and solutes during snowmelt
Abstract
Wind-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.
PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH
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PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
Wind-blown dust contributes trace metals and soluble salts to mountain snowpack, with potential negative impacts on water quality during snowmelt. 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. Our project investigated the effects of dust on water quality during snowmelt in the upper Provo River watershed in the Uinta Mountains, with three years of detailed field sampling and comprehensive chemical analyses. Dust contributions to stream solute budgets during snowmelt were quantified with strontium isotope tracers and mixing analyses, suggesting that approximately half of the strontium was sourced from dust in shallow soils. The role of organic matter-facilitated trace-metal transport from snowpack to streams was examined through application of novel analytical methods, showing that metals such as mercury are flushed during snowmelt with soil organic matter. The availability of trace metals in dust was characterized via sequential leaching experiments, showing that specific trace elements such as strontium and cadmium are readily dissolved in soil water. Five manuscripts have been published based on our study, with another in review, and three more in preparation. Of the nine manuscripts, five will have graduate students as the first author.
Four graduate students completed master's theses and eight undergraduate students were trained in field hydrology as part of this study, including women and minority students. The project fostered cross-campus collaborations for graduate students at Utah's three major research institutions (University of Utah, Utah State University, and Brigham Young University). Results of the study were shared with local water managers and presented at local, national, and international meetings. 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.
Last Modified: 10/26/2019
Modified by: Gregory T Carling
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