CHARACTERISTICS OF ACIDITY AND MAJOR ION CONCENTRATION OF SNOWFALL, SNOWPACK AND SNOWMELT WATER IN THE TEMPERATE SNOW AREA

Abstract

This paper describes the acidity and main ion concentration of snowfall, snowpack and snowmelt water in the temperate snow area. In order to understand the variation of snow water quality and its relationship among snow, snowpack and snowmelt, snow monitoring and chemical measurement were conducted from December 2008 to March 2009 at Tohkamachi experiment site. As a result, the both of snowfall and snowmelt were high acidity and their average were around 4.6 and 5.0, individually. However, high frequencies of rainfall and snowmelt occurrence during winter decrease the high acidity of snowpack and snowmelt water since they prevent the chemical matter from depositing in the snowpack layer. Moreover, it is suspected that the soil component from Eurasia continent contained in the snow particle also decrease the high acidity of snowfall and snowpack.