Project S1

Quantification and modeling of solute matter transport during the annual cycle

Complementary Chinese topic: Quantification and modeling of suspended matter transport during the annual cycle

Research Objectives

The aim of project S1 is to elucidate seasonal and inter-annual variations of fluvial matter transport from the catchment to the lake in order to disentangle the contribution of snow and glacier melt on the one hand and monsoon-derived runoff on the other hand. Hydrological monitoring stations equipped with automatic sampling devices (dissolved and suspended matter) and continuously recording multi-probes at the mouth of the two sub-catchments will be operated in close collaboration with W1/W2 and the Chinese counterparts. To link data to the sediment record of Nam Co, the elements K, Al, Rb, Ti, Corg, biomarkers and isotopes (O, D) will be measured. Sample analysis will be conducted at NAMORS and in the hydro-chemical laboratory at ITP Lhasa campus. This provides the backbone for quantification of present day spatially lumped catchment-wide chemical and physical erosion rates and supports the establishment of a C balance (C1/C2). In addition, S1 will contribute with ground based mapping of hill-slope erosion and monitoring of channel changes with repeated laser scanning (LIDAR) to validate transport rates and surface change rates derived from remote sensing data (S3/S4)

Sino-German complementarity of research

The installation of the monitoring devices will be performed during the first field season (2018) by two doctoral researchers, one from Germany, one from China. Both researchers are involved in the monitoring and sampling campaign in the two catchments. The analyses of the samples will be split in solute matter transport (inorganic and organic) for the German researcher and suspended matter transport (inorganic and organic) for the Chinese researcher. In cooperation with S4 the German side will conduct a ground based periodic monitoring of selected river reaches, using Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) to detect changes in the river bed and provide seasonal sediment budgets. The data provided by S1 will feed into the sediment movement modeling exercise of the Chinese counterpart.

Supervisors:

Prof. Dr. Roland Mäusbacher, FSU Jena
Prof. Dr. Zhu Liping, ITP
Prof. Dr. Zhang Fan, ITP