This research effort focuses on synthesis of existing information on biogeochemical processes in the Amazon basin. Specifically, the investigators intend to lay the foundations of what may be the first biogeochemical river model based on state concepts of how river systems work, with an emphasis on using parameters that can actually be measured. The foundation of the model is a great deal of empirical work carried out by the PIs and others in the Amazon and other large river basins. Once the model modules are in place (basin structure, biogeochemical reactions and cycles, sediment transport, hydrology), the next level of synthesis is possible. The investigators will focus on how certain processes may control the co-evolution of dissolved nutrients, dissolved gases, and particulate and dissolved organic materials as they are transported from land and downstream. Ultimately, the team intends to test the model in other river basins, targeting southeast Asia (Mekong basin) and the Pacific Northwest U.S. (Puget Sound environs).
