Advancing a Watershed Hydro-Biogeochemical Theory: Linking Water Travel Time and Reaction Rates Under Changing Climate

Technical Report · Mon Mar 04 23:00:00 EST 2024

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/2326142· OSTI ID:2326142

Li, Li ^[1]; Sullivan, Pamela ^[2]

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1. Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States); Penn State University
2. Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, OR (United States)

The major goal of the project is to answer the question how and to what degree does a warming climate alter hydrological functioning and (biogeochemical and chemical weathering) reaction rates at the watershed scale? In particular, how does hydrological functioning (water storage, flow paths, and travel time) change responding to a warming climate? What are the corresponding alterations in biogeochemical and chemical weathering rates at the watershed scale? What is the general watershed-scale reaction rate law that causally links reaction rates to metrics of hydrological functioning that are determined by external hydroclimatic conditions and internal watershed structure characteristics? To answer these questions, we have used field measurements and reactive transport modeling. We have found that: 1) stream chemistry has altered tremendously in warmer years; 2) In this water-limited environment, hydrology is the dominant driver for soil respiration and carbon lateral export at the watershed scale; 3) deeper carbon respiration plays an essential role in regulating the patterns of stream carbon in low and high flow conditions, and deeper groundwater will become increasingly important as warming intensifies. This indicates in mountain streams, a warming climate will modify not only the timing and magnitude of streamflow as expected, but also the chemistry and quality of stream water.

• Research Organization: Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER). Earth & Environmental Systems Science (EESS)
• DOE Contract Number: SC0020146
• OSTI ID: 2326142
• Report Number(s): DOE-PSU--DE-SC-0020146
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Climate Change
Stream Chemistry
Stream Water Flow
Water Quality