Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Identifying sources of snowmelt acidification with a watershed mixing model

  • Published:
Water, Air, and Soil Pollution Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We used ionic tracers to estimate the volume of old (soil and ground) water interacting with snowmelt in eleven Adirondack, NY watersheds. The contribution of old water varied from 66 to 90%, with no general relationship between old water % and soil depth to till. This approach also discriminated between watershed retention and release of particular ions to lake outlet water during snowmelt. Most watersheds released NO3 − during snowmelt, in addition to the snowpack NO3 −. Nitrification of snowpack NH4 + explained part of the additional NO3 − in lake out outlet water, but some NO3 − was likely mineralized nitrogen from soil organic matter. All watersheds retained NH4 + as well. Nitrogen release was greatest in the acidic watersheds in the southwestern Adirondacks, a region thought to be impacted by anthropogenic deposition. During snowmelt, Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions (presumably from soil exchange sites) were also released from most watersheds. In watersheds with acidic (minimum pH<4.6) lake outlet water, Al was also released during snowmelt. Thus, lake outlet water acidification during snowmelt was both buffered by cation release, and intensified by NO3 − release. If the soil exchangeable cation pools were not replenished prior to snowmelt, or NO3 − mobilization were increased, acidification during snowmelt would intensify.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aber, J., Nadelhoffer, K. J., Steudler, P., and Melillo, J. M.: 1989, Bioscience 39, 378–386.

    Google Scholar 

  • Agren, G. I. and Bosatta, E.: 1988, Environ. Pollut. 54, 185–197.

    Google Scholar 

  • APHA: 1985, Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, American Public Health Association, NY.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baird, S. F., Buso, D. C., and Hornbeck, J. W.: 1987, Water, Air, and Soil Pollut. 34, 325–338.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barnes, R. B.: 1976, Chem. Geol. 15, 177–191.

    Google Scholar 

  • Charrette, J. Y., Jones, H. G., Sochanska, W. and Gauthier, J. M.: 1986, ‘Changes in Lake Water Quality During Spring Runoff in a Northern Boreal Forest Subjected to Acidic Precipitation’, in Proceedings of the Canadian Hydrology Symposium, Sainte-Foy, Quebec, pp. 201–211.

  • Chen, C. W., Gherini, S. A., Peters, N. E., Murdoch, P. S., Newton, R. M., and April, R. A.: 1984, Water Resour. Res. 20, 1875–1882.

    Google Scholar 

  • Christophersen, N., Neal, C., and Hooper, R. P.: 1990, ‘Modelling Streamwater Chemistry as a Mixture of Soil-Water End Membrs — A Step Towards Second-Generation Acidification Models’, 116, 307–320.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cronan, C. S., Conlan, J. C., and Skibinski, S.: 1987, Biogeochem. 3, 121–128.

    Google Scholar 

  • DeWalle, D. R., Swistock, B. R., and Sharpe, W. E.: 1988, J. Hydrol. 104, 301–310.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dohrmann Envirotech Corporation: 1984, Automated Laboratory Total Organic Carbon Analyzer, Xertex Corporation, Santa Clara, CA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Driscoll, C. T., Ayling, W. A., Fordham, G. F., and Oliver, L. M.: 1989, Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 46, 258–267.

    Google Scholar 

  • Driscoll, C. T., Baker, J. P., Bisogni, J. J., and Schofield, C. L.: 1980, Nature 284, 161–164.

    Google Scholar 

  • Driscoll, C. T., and Newton, R. M.: 1985, Environ. Sci. Tech. 19, 1182–1187.

    Google Scholar 

  • Driscoll, C. T., Newton, R. M., Gubala, C. P., Baker, J. P., and Christensen, S. W.: 1990, ‘Adirondack Mountains’, in D. F. Charles (ed.), Acidic Precipitation and Surface Water Acidification: Regional Case studies, Springer-Verlag, New York, pp. 6-1–6-68.

    Google Scholar 

  • Driscoll, C. T. and Schafran, G. C.: 1984, Nature 310, 308–310.

    Google Scholar 

  • Driscoll, C. T. and Van Dreason, R.: 1988, ‘A Program to Evaluate Long-Term Changes in the Chemistry of Adirondack Lakes’, Final Report to EPA-Corvallis Environmental Research Laboratory, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Syracuse Univ., NY.

    Google Scholar 

  • Driscoll, C. T., Wyskowski, B. J., Cosentini, C. C., and Smith, M. E.: 1987, Biogeochem. 3, 225–242.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eshleman, K. N.: 1988, Water Resour. Res. 24, 1118–1126.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eshleman, K. N. and Hemond, H.: 1986, Eos Trans. AGU 67, 931 (abstract).

    Google Scholar 

  • Freeze, R. A., and Cherry, J. A.: 1979, Groundwater, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. 604 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fritz, P., Cherry, J. A., Weyer, K. V., and Sklash, M. G.: 1976, ‘Runoff Analysis Using Environmental Isotopes and Major Ions’, in Interpretation of Environmental Isotope and Hydrochemical Data in Groundwater Hydrology, IAEA, Vienna, pp. 109–120.

    Google Scholar 

  • Galloway, J. N., Schofield, C. L., Hendry, G. R., Peters, N. E., and Johannes, A. H.: 1980, ‘Sources of Acidity in Three Lakes Acidified During Snowmelt’, in D. Drablos and A. Tolan (eds.), Ecological Impact of Acid Precipitation SNSF Project, Oslo, Norway, pp. 264–265.

    Google Scholar 

  • Galloway, J. N., Hendry, G. R., Schofield, C. L., Peters, N. E., and Johannes, A. H.: 1987, Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 44, 1595–1602.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gjessing, E. T., Henriksen, A., Johannessen, M., and Wright, R. F.: 1976, ‘Effects of Acid Precipitation on Freshwater Chemistry’, in Impact of Acid Precipitation on Forest and Freshwater Ecosystems in Norway SNSF Project FR6/76, As, Oslo, Norway, pp. 65–85.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gran, G.: 1952, Int. Congr. Anal. Chem. 77, 661–671.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gubala, C. P., Driscoll, C. T., Newton, R. M., and Schofield, C. L.:‘The Chemistry of a Near-Shore Lake Region During Snowmelt’, Environ. Sci. Tech. (in press).

  • Gunn, J. M. and Keller, W.: 1986, Water, Air, and Soil Pollut. 30, 545–552.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hagen, A. and Langeland, A.: 1973, Environ. Pollut. 5, 45–57.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hall, F. R.: 1970, Water Resour. Res. 6, 845–850.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hendry, G. R., Galloway, J. N., and Schofield, C. L., 1980, ‘Temporal and Spatial Trends in the Chemistry of Acidified Lakes Under Ice Cover, in D. Drablos and A. Tolan (eds.), Ecological Impact of Acid Precipitation SNSF Project, Oslo, Norway, pp. 266–267.

    Google Scholar 

  • Henriksen, A., Skogheim, O. K., and Rosseland, B. O.: 1984, Vatten 40, 255–260.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hooper, R. P. and Shoemaker, C. A.: 1986, Water Resour. Res. 22, 1444–1454.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hornberger, G.: 1991, Eos 72, 90.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, D. W., and D. A. Webster: 1977, Can. J. Fish Res. Biol. 34, 2215–2218.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, N. M., Likens, G. E., Bormann, F. H., Fisher, D. W., and Pierce, R. S.: 1969, Water Resour. Res. 5, 1353–1363.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kelly, C. A., Rudd, J. W. M., Schindler, D. W.: 1990, Water, Air, and Soil Pollut. 50, 49–61.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kennedy, V. C., Kendall, C., Zellweger, G. W., Wyerman, T. A., and Avanzino, R. J.: 1986, J. Hydrol. 84, 107–140.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leivstadt, H. and Muniz, I. P.: 1976, Nature 259, 391–392.

    Google Scholar 

  • Likens, G. E., Bormann, F. H., Pierce, R. S., Eaton, J. S., and Johnson, N. M.: 1977, Biogeochemistry of a Forested Ecosystem, Springer-Verlag, NY.

    Google Scholar 

  • McAvoy, D. C., and Driscoll, C. T.: 1989, J. Water. Pollut. Cont. Fed. 61, 1552–1563.

    Google Scholar 

  • Melillo, J. M.: 1977, ‘Mineralization of Nitrogen in Northern Hardwood Forest Ecosystems’, Ph.D. Thesis, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 136 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Molot, L. A., Dillon, P. J., and LaZerte, B. D.: 1989, Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 46, 1658–1666.

    Google Scholar 

  • Newell, A. D., Powers, C. F., and Christie, S. J.: 1987, Analysis of Data from Long-Term Monitoring of Lakes. EPA/600/4-87/014. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Newton, R. M., Weintraub, J., and April, R. H.: 1987, Biogeochem. 3, 21–25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Orion, 1976, Orion Instruction Manual, Fluoride Electrodes, Orion Research Incorporated, Cambridge, MA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pearce, A. J., Pierce, M. K., and Sklash, M. G.: 1986, Water Resour. Res. 22, 1263–1272.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peters, N. E. and Driscoll, C. T.: 1987a, Biogeochem. 3, 163–180.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peters, N. E. and Driscoll, C. T.: 1987b, ‘Sources of Acidity During Snowmelt at a Forested Site in the West-Central Adirondack Mountains, New York, in Forest Hydrology and Watershed Management, Proceedings of the Vancouver Symposium. IAHS Publications, pp. 99–108.

  • Peters, N. E. and Murdoch, P. S.: 1985, Water, Air, and Soil Pollut. 26, 387–402.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pinder, G. F. and Jones, J. F.: 1969, Water Resour. Res. 5, 438–445.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rascher, C. M., Driscoll, C. T., and Petersen, N. E.: 1987, Biogeochem. 3, 209–224.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schaefer, D. A., Driscoll, C. T. Jr., Van Dreason, R., and Yatsko, C. P.: 1990, Water Resour. Res. 26: 1639–1647.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seip, H. M., Andersen, D. O., Christophersen, N., Sullivan, T. J., and Vogt, R. D.: 1989, J. Hydrol. 104, 387–405

    Google Scholar 

  • Sklash, M. G., Farvolden, R. N., and P. Fritz, 1976, Can. J. Earth Sci. 13, 271–283.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sklash, M. G. and Farvolden, R. N.: 1979, J. Hydrol. 43, 45–65.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sklash, M. G., Stewart, M. K., and Pearce, A. J.: 1986, Water Resour. Res. 22, 1273–1282.

    Google Scholar 

  • Slavin, W.: 1968, Atomic Absorption Spectrometry, Wiley Interscience, NY.

    Google Scholar 

  • Small, H., Stevens, T. S., and Bauman, W. C.: 1975, Anal. Chem. 47, 1801–1809.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sullivan, T. J., Christophersen, N., Muniz, I. P., Seip, H. M., and Sullivan, P. D.: 1986, Nature 323, 324–327.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ulrich, B.: 1983, ‘Soil Acidity and its Relation to Acid Deposition’, in Ulrich, B. and J. Pankrath (eds.), Effects of Accumulation of Air Pollutants in Forest Ecosystems, Kluwer Acad. Publ., Dordrecht, Holland, pp. 127–146.

    Google Scholar 

  • US EPA: 1983, Methods for Chemical Analysis of Waters and Wastes, EPA-600/4-79-020. Environmental Monitoring and Support Laboratory, Cincinnati, OH.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Breeman, N., Mulder, J., and Driscoll, C. T.: 1983, Plant and Soil 75, 283–308.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wels, C., Cornett, J., and LaZerte, B. D.: 1991, ‘Hydrograph Separation: A Comparison of Geochemical and Isotopic Tracers’, J. Hydrol. 122, 253–274.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wigington, P. J. Jr., Davies, T. D., Tranter, M., and Eshleman, K. N.: ‘Episodic Acidification of Surface Waters Due to Acidic Deposition’, State of Science/Technology Report 12, National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program, Washington, DC.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Syracuse University, 220 Hinds Hall, 13244-1190, Syracuse, NY, USA

    Douglas A. Schaefer & Charles T. Driscoll

Authors
  1. Douglas A. Schaefer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Charles T. Driscoll
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Schaefer, D.A., Driscoll, C.T. Identifying sources of snowmelt acidification with a watershed mixing model. Water Air Soil Pollut 67, 345–365 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00478153

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00478153

Keywords

Search

Navigation