Linking Snow, Soil, and Stream During Snowmelt and Rain‐On‐Snow Events: Storage and Transport of Ions in an Acid‐Sensitive Alpine Catchment (Tatra Mountains, Poland)

Abstract

AbstractThe purpose of the study was to examine the storage and transport of ions through snowpack, soils, and stream water in an acid‐sensitive alpine catchment (Tatra Mountains, Poland) during snowmelt and rain‐on‐snow events. Samples of snowpack layers, near‐surface soil horizons, and stream water were collected in the winter and snowmelt seasons of 2019. A laboratory experiment was conducted to determine the effect of temperature on the rate of soil nitrogen mineralization and nitrification. Our study has shown that snowpack is an important source of ions in the catchment. As the snow melts, the release of ions from snowpack occurs. A gradual and slow melting of snow starts even before the first snowmelt‐induced increase in stream discharge. ions eluted from available snowpack are temporarily stored in soil, which is shown by a large increase in the concentration of water‐soluble in the soil at that time. ions are washed out of soils and supplied to streams during the first snowmelt event. This is demonstrated by a large increase in the stream water concentration, termed an “ pulse.” The ion is a key acid anion responsible for the acidification of the studied stream during snowmelt season, as the pulse coincides with a decrease in bicarbonate alkalinity. Our field research and laboratory experiment have shown a minor role of mineralization and nitrification in production in soils in the winter and pulse formation in stream water during the early stages of the snowmelt season.