Potential for Acid Snowmelt in the Wasatch Mountains

摘要: Snowmelt collected from snow cores taken the 1982 spring snowpack in Wasatch Mountains of northern Utah lacked mineral acidity and retained enough buffering capacity form calcium magnesium bicarbonates to titrate addit ional inputs strong acid equivalent amount apparently already neutralized. While anion concentrations were higher than those found pristine areas, they much lower reported for winter precipitation other western areas experiencing acidification precipitation. pH ranged 5.62 6.88 (mean = 6.17), sulfate was relatively more important nitrate, showing an average ratio 3.1; 1. Patterns indicated decreas ing with distance sources soil-derived semiarid valleys east. Although concentration patterns failed point pollution along Front, chloride that Salt Lake Valley airshed influenced chemistry mountains~ studies carried on laboratory at a field site Logan Canyon that, alkaline typical 1982, first melt fractions had (less acidity) did bulk snow. The opposite situation is typically no present, increased by 13 percent as result contact organic litter soil surface 22 m, 32 slope. even rapidly nearby intermittent stream (to 7.78 edge snowpack). Difficulties interpreting data this study include effects unusually wet winter, uncharac,teristically low levels industrial activity due economic factors, uncertainty about relative amounts reaching sensitive Uintah Mountain watersheds east, failure distinguish between derived sulfates. Analysis these difficulties suggests offsetting factors would tend cancel during wet-to-normal winters. remaining require additional research.