This dataset contains geochemical variables measured in six depth profiles from ombrotrophic peatlands in North and Central Europe. Peat cores were taken during the spring and summer of 2022 from Amtsvenn (AV1), Germany; Drebbersches Moor (DM1), Germany; Fochteloër Veen (FV1), the Netherlands; Bagno Kusowo (KR1), Poland; Pichlmaier Moor (PI1), Austria and Pürgschachen Moor (PM1), Austria. The cores AV1, DM1 and KR1 were taken using a Wardenaar sampler (Royal Eijkelkamp, Giesbeek, the Netherlands) and had diameter of 10 cm. The cores FV1, PM1 and PI1 had an 8 cm diameter and were obtained using an Instorf sampler (Royal Eijkelkamp, Giesbeek, the Netherlands). The cores FV1, DM1 and KR1 were 100 cm, core AV1 was 95 cm, core PI1 was 85 cm and core PM1 was 200 cm. The cores were subsampeled in 1 cm (AV1, DM1, KR1, FV1) and 2 cm (PI1, PM1) sections. The subsamples were milled after freeze drying in a ballmill using tungen carbide accesoires. X-Ray Fluorescence (WD-XRF; ZSX Primus II, Rigaku, Tokyo, Japan) was used to determine Al (μg g-1), As (μg g-1), Ba (μg g-1), Br (μg g-1), Ca (g g-1), Cl (μg g-1), Cr (μg g-1), Cu (μg g-1), Fe (g g-1), K (g g-1), Mg (μg g-1), Mn (μg g-1), Na (μg g-1), P (μg g-1), Pb (μg g-1), Rb (μg g-1), S (μg g-1), Si (μg g-1), Sr (μg g-1), Ti (μg g-1) and Zn (μg g-1). These data were processed and calibrated using the iloekxrf package (Teickner & Knorr, 2024) in R. C, N and their stable isotopes were determined using an elemental analyser linked to an isotope ratio mass spectrometer (EA-3000, Eurovector, Pavia, Italy & Nu Horizon, Nu Instruments, Wrexham, UK). C and N were given in units g g-1 and stable isotopes were given as δ13C and δ15N for stable isotopes of C and N, respectively. Raw data C, N and stable isotope data were calibrated with certified standard and blank effects were corrected with the ilokeirms package (Teickner & Knorr, 2024). Using Fourier Transform Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-MIR) (Agilent Cary 670 FTIR spectromter, Agilent Technologies, Santa Clara, Ca, USA) humification indices (HI) were determined. Spectra were recorded from 600 cm-1 to 4000 cm-1 with a resolution of 2 cm-1 and baselines corrected with the ir package (Teickner, 2025) to estimate relative peack heights. The HI (no unit) for each sample was calculated by taking the ratio of intensities at 1630 cm-1 to the intensities at 1090 cm-1. Bulk densities (g cm-3) were estimated from FT-MIR data (Teickner et al., in preparation).
The high-resolution digital surface model (DSM1, DOM1) of the watercourses Elbe and Lower Havel is based on the airborne laser scanning data, undertaken from 06 January 2022 to 18 March 2022 in the Elbe area and from 20 to 22 December 2021 in the Havel area. It was produced and published by Germany’s Federal Institute of Hydrology (BfG), on behalf of the River Basin Community Elbe (RBC Elbe, FGG Elbe). The work was supported by the German Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration (WSV) and the surveying offices and water management administrations of six German states - Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Brandenburg, Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Schleswig-Holstein. The data cover both the area around the inland water stretches of the Elbe from the Czech-German border to the village of Zollenspieker (part of the city of Hamburg) and the Lower Havel waterway from the town of Rathenow to its confluence with the Elbe. Since the dataset has a large coverage of 4,043 km², it is split into 62 sections. They were either labelled *HW in case of flood relevant areas (in German: “hochwasser-relevante Gebiete”) or *AU in case of historical floodplains (in German: “Altauengebiete”). Financing was divided according to these categories: In the HW areas, the project was co-funded by BfG, the WSV and the federal states, while in the AU areas, BfG covered all project costs. For each section we provide hillshade (*HS) and height maps (*NHN). The data are available in a raster resolution of 1 meter in GeoTiff format; Coordinate reference frame: ETRS89.DREF91.R16; Coordinate projection: UTM Zone 33N; EPSG-Code: 25833; Height reference system: DHHN2016, national vertical reference frame in Germany (2022). For further information please contact us. Citation short: BfG et al. / i.A. FGG Elbe (2025)