Hydrospheric Tracers and Proxies (Aeschbach - Group)
The hydrosphere encompasses water on earth in its entirety and thus permeates all compartments of the environment. The hydrological cycle is a central part of the global climate system and replenishes vital freshwater resources in lakes, rivers and aquifers. In addition, water and ice store information on the climate of the past.
The HydroTraP group uses various trace elements, compounds and isotopes (tracers) contained in liquid water as well as in ice for age dating, to obtain information on the chronology of archives and the dynamics of surface and subsurface waters as well as glaciers. Atmospheric noble gases and water isotopes additionally serve as proxies for environmental conditions during the formation of water and ice masses, such as past temperatures and other climate parameters. HydroTraP uses these methods to contribute to water resources management as well as for paleoclimate reconstruction.
