In this field course, physical properties and exchange processes (methane, carbon dioxide) of snow and soil as determinants in high-altitude ecosystems are experimentally investigated. The students interpret the measurements and write a short research proposal based on the observations.

The carbon cycle connects different reservoirs of C, including life on Earth, atmospheric CO2, and economically important geological reserves of C. Much of this C is in reduced (organic) form, and is composed of complex chemical structures that reflect diverse biological activity, processes and transformations.

Transfer and redistribution of material on Earth’s surface is controlled by myriad processes. To investigate these, this course will address the production, transport, and deposition of sediments and will probe their interactions with biogeochemical cycles. We will integrate catchment-scale sediment dynamics with associated (organic) carbon cycling at all stages of the “source to sink” continuum.