Abstract
Oxygen-18 tracer studies of snowmelt runoff in the Turkey Lakes watershed, Ontario, Canada indicate that 50–60% of the peak runoff is derived from premelt groundwater in storage in the surficial deposits. Groundwater in the stream valleys has relatively high alkalinity concentrations from silicate and minor detrital carbonate dissolution which neutralize much of the acidity in the meltwater component of runoff when it is discharged into the stream during meltwater infiltration. However shallow groundwater on the hillslopes is susceptible to acidification from infiltrating meltwater and rapid flushing to small, first-order streams. For this reason first-order headwater streams experience greater pH depression than do higher-order streams in well defined stream channels, despite having similar premelt components.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.