CNET
Project

About CNET

Stream and river networks represent the largest biogeochemical nexus between the continents, ocean, and atmosphere. They metabolize dissolved organic carbon (DOC), one of the largest pools of reduced carbon on Earth and a major intermediary to the global carbon cycle. DOC metabolism in stream and river networks remains poorly understood, especially in high-mountain streams, which are increasingly recognized as important for large-scale biogeochemistry. High-mountain ecosystems are highly vulnerable to climate change, most visibly the shrinkage of glaciers. The extreme 2022 summer highlighted the unprecedented melting of mountain glaciers in the Swiss Alps and elsewhere, while the impacts of glacier runoff on downstream network hydrology and DOC metabolism remain elusive.

The overall objective of CNET is to study DOC metabolism in high-mountain stream networks, with a focus on various glacier types (e.g., clean-ice glaciers versus rock glaciers) that nurture both downstream hydrology and the organic C pool. CNET will center on the hydrological dynamics of stream networks and network-scale DOC removal and mineralization, with a focus on hyporheic processes. To this end, we propose to integrate the use of distributed sensors, field surveys, experiments, as well as modeling. This multi-faceted and interdisciplinary approach is imperative to move beyond the typical scale of a stream reach to encompass hydrological and biogeochemical processes at the scale of entire networks.

Our Team