Longitudinal water chemistry of the upper Colorado River
Abstract
Fixed monitoring sites are frequently used to measure temporal variation in streamflow and water chemistry, however even networks of monitoring stations discretize spatial variation. This makes it difficult to identify whether stream chemistry varies along continuous gradients, or in response to serial discontinuities such as tributary confluences, dams and other water control structures. Over the past few years Lagrangian-based sampling approaches have emerged as an exciting new frontier, capable of filling this critical knowledge gap. We collected longitudinal profiles over 11 days along 336 km of the upper Colorado River. We measured temperature, specific conductance, pH, turbidity, chromophoric dissolved organic matter, dissolved oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrate at 30 second intervals using in-situ sensors deployed from a cataraft. Grab samples were also collected at 10 minute intervals and analyzed for major elements, nutrients, and isotope chemistry. This extensive dataset provides valuable insight into longitudinal trends in water chemistry and rates of biogeochemical processing, and has the potential to further our understanding of the mechanisms responsible for generating spatial variation.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2018
- Bibcode:
- 2018AGUFM.H21C..02H
- Keywords:
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- 0434 Data sets;
- BIOGEOSCIENCESDE: 0232 Impacts of climate change: ecosystem health;
- GEOHEALTHDE: 1847 Modeling;
- HYDROLOGYDE: 1871 Surface water quality;
- HYDROLOGY