Van Tuyl Lecture (Virtual): Dr. Richard Wanty, Colorado School of Mines

Dr. Richard Wanty, Colorado School of Mines

Topic: “Weathering Rates in Alpine Catchments of Central Colorado”

Abstract: The USGS conducted a large sampling campaign of headwater streams in Colorado from 1004-2007. Full inorganic chemical analyses were conducted, as well as field measurements of chemical parameters and stream discharge.  These measurements allowed calculation of instantaneous chemical mass loads and facilitated example calculations of weathering rates.  Drainage from abandoned mines and natural weathering of hydrothermally altered rocks causes some streams to have low pH and high concentrations of metals and sulfate (acid-rock drainage, or ARD). In the absence of these effects, differences in weathering rates and chemical character are observed between different lithologic groups.  In streams affected by ARD, greater concentrations of alkali metals and alkaline earths are observed, but their contribution to the total element load is less than that for Fe, Al, and SO4 below pH 5.  In addition to the inorganic analyses, samples were collected from a subset of the streams for benthic macroinvertebrates, allowing us to quantify the effects of stream metal concentrations on benthic fauna.

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