Abstract
Water and snow samples were collected in May of 1990 and 1992 in headwater basins and along a longitudinal transect of the Ürümqi River, located in northwestern China. Surface waters were dominated by Ca 2+ and HCO 3 − at all sites. Maximum measured SO 4 2− concentrations in surface waters were 550μegL −1, and were balanced by Ca 2+ and HCO 3 −; pH was slightly alkaline at all locations. Several independent analyses each concluded that the solute composition of surface waters was dominated by dissolution of rocks with rapid weathering kinetics, such as calcite and dolomite. Preliminary analysis of stable sulfur ratios in headwater basins shows δ 34S values of +6.8 for snow and +3.3 for surface waters. Changes in the δ 34S value of surface waters with increasing basin area were variable, suggesting changes in the stable sulfur ratios of source materials. The large amounts of HCO 3 − and base cations at all sites indicates that the Ürümqi River is not sensitive to acidification from atmospheric deposition.
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