Müller

Fakultäten » Mathematisch-naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät » Evolutionsbiologie und Umweltwissenschaften, Institut für » Ecology & Environment » PD Dr. Helmut Brandl » Müller

Current research project

Title / Titel	Quantification of environmental effects on the weathering state of rock surfaces
PDF	Abstract (PDF, 14 KB)
Summary / Zusammenfassung	The weathering state of rocks, and in particular their surface reactivity, controls the availability of elements that serve as nutrients for organisms and initial soil formation. The goal of the proposed project is to gain insight in the initial chemical weathering process and to develop a quantification method to estimate the extent of available nutrients in different weathering states. The influence of extrinsic (environmental) factors, such as exposition to sunlight or radiation, different humidity and temperature gradients (summer-winter cycles, altitude differences), will be studied. Special attention is also paid to biofilms (bacteria, fungi, lichens) covering parts of the rock surfaces which are responsible for the mobilization of elements from rocks through their metabolic activities.
Keywords / Suchbegriffe	bioweathering, biomobilization, bioleaching
Project leadership and contacts / Projektleitung und Kontakte	Dr. Beat Müller (Project Leader) beat.müller@eawag.ch Dr. Peter Hauser peter.hauser@unibas.ch Dr. Gerhard Furrer gerhard.furrer@env.ethz.ch Dr. Helmut Brandl helmut.brandl@ieu.uzh.ch
Funding source(s) / Unterstützt durch	SNF (Personen- und Projektförderung)
In collaboration with / In Zusammenarbeit mit	Natascha Torres (PhD student) Switzerland
Duration of Project / Projektdauer	Oct 2011 to Oct 2014