Variation in Critical Zone Processes and Architecture across Slope Aspects

Environmental conditions within a catchment vary by slope aspect, and hence slope aspect provides a means of observing their controls on critical zone structure and function. We summarize water, biogeochemistry, soil, and weathering on opposing slope aspects in Gordon Gulch, a headwater catchment in the Front Range of Colorado. These observations show that water and energy delivery to the lower critical zone are the most important climate characteristics involved in the evolution of critical zone architecture.