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The chemical weathering of rocks on the Earth´s surface is a major geochemical process which not only shapes local landscapes by influencing soil and vegetation types, but is also thought to regulate the Earth´s climate over geological timescales. Chemical weathering is affected by many different factors, for example climate, hydrology, tectonic activity and vegetation. Identifying the main processes controlling chemical weathering and predicting chemical weathering rates in different terrains thus requires an interdisciplinary approach combining geology, chemistry, hydrology and biology. The interdisciplinary nature of chemical weathering is reflected in the content of this thesis, which presents work conducted at the Damma glacier forefield in the central Swiss Alps.

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Ruth Hindshaw completed her PhD studies within the Isotope Geochemistry and Soil Chemistry groups at ETH Zurich in 2011. She has a long-standing interest in processes affecting alpine and arctic environments.

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