Trace element chemistry of glacial meltwaters in an Alpine headwater catchment

Concentrations of major cations, anions and 13 trace elements in supraglacial and bulk meltwaters from a glaciated Alpine catchment in southern Switzerland underlain by a predominantly silicate lithology are reported. While supraglacial waters are very low in dissolved ions the bulk meltwaters are, by contrast, strongly enriched. Surprisingly, several of the trace elements determined in this study are present in the bulk outflow at concentrations which are similar to, and in the case of Al, Ti, Fe, Co and U greater than the world averages for surface waters. It is suggested, therefore, that river systems fed by glaciated headwaters may derive much of their trace element load from the headwater region.