Abstract
The pH of sediments underlying acidified lake waters does not necessarily reflect the acidification of the water. Profiles of sediments in Lake Anna, Virginia showed interstitial pH values between 6.0 and 7.0 within the top 4 cm, even though the sediments are constantly exposed to overlying waters with pH values as low as 3.5. The amount of acidity neutralized by sediment processes is 2 orders of magnitude greater than previously reported observations. The results indicate that caution must be used in drawing conclusions about sediment biogeochemical processes based on the pH of overlying waters.
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Herlihy, A.T., Mills, A.L. The pH regime of sediments underlying acidified waters. Biogeochemistry 2, 95–99 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02186967
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02186967