Change in snowpack, soil solution and runoff chemistry during snowmelt in a Northern Michigan watershed
Toczydlowski D and Stottlemyer R. 1994. Change in snowpack, soil solution and runoff chemistry during snowmelt in a Northern Michigan watershed. Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America. 75(2):230
Since 1986, we have been studying precipitation, snowpack, snowmelt, and soil solution to quantify mechanisms responsible for observed differences in input/output budgets for H+, NO3-, NH4+, and SO4 2-. A decline in winter precipitation inputs (R2=0.28, p=0.08) reduced ion loading. Up to peak water equivalent, there was a relationship between precipitation input and snowpack content for K+ (p<0.001) and SO4 2- (p < 0.01). No relationship was found for H+, NH4+, or NO3-. Snowmelt chemistry showed most snowpack H+ and SO4 2- made it into the soil. Significant amounts of NO3- and NH4+ are transformed or incorporated in the snowpack especially later in the snowmelt period. Nearly all snowmelt H+, NH4+, and N23- is retained in surface mineral soils especially late in the snowmelt period, but soil SO4 2- flux increases accounting for a watershed input/output ratio <1.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Toczydlowski, David; Stottlemyer, Robert
- Units
- ISRO
- Keywords
- Aquatic Sciences, Chemistry, Meltwater, Physical Sciences, Snowpack, Soils, Water Quality