Abstract
Short-term acidification of streams and lakes can cause fish kills and other adverse biological effects1,2. Such acid episodes may be due to acid deposition or the result of natural processes. The 'seasalt effect' is a natural process in which episodic input of seasalt-rich precipitation to acid soils can cause acidification of runoff3. Several cases of acid episodes observed in coastal regions of Norway4 and eastern United States5 have been ascribed to the seasalt effect. To test experimentally this effect we dosed a small pristine catchment in western Norway with dilute sea water. Runoff chemistry responsed immediately; pH dropped from 6.1 to 5.1, alkalinity from 20 to –2 µequiv. l–1 and labile monomeric aluminium increased from 15 to 95 µg l–1. This experiment verifies that high inputs of sea salts can cause natural acidification episodes due to cation exchange in small catchments with acidic soils.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Leivestad, H. & Muniz, I. P. Nature 259, 391–392 (1979).
Harvey, H. H. & Whelpdale, D. M. Wat. Air & Soil Pollut. 30, 579–586 (1986).
Norton, S. A. et al. in GEOMON International Workshop on Geochemistry and Monitoring in Representative Basins, 148–150 (Geological Survey, Prague, 1987).
Skartveit, A. Nordic Hydrol 12, 65–80 (1981).
Kahl, J. S. et al. Water Resource Baseline Data and Assessment of Impacts from Acidic Precipitation, Acadic National Park, Maine (National Park Service Technical Report 16, Washington, 1985).
Wiklander, L. Geoderma 14, 93–105 (1975).
Reuss, J. O. J. environ. Qual. 12, 591–595 (1983).
Johnson, D. W. et al. Soil. Sci. Soc. Am. J. 50, 776–783 (1986).
Njøs, A. Solute and Water Transport Through Soils with Special Reference to Raw Humus Layers (Internal Report 39/78, SNSF-project, NISK, 1432 Ås, Norway, 1978).
Christophersen, N. et al. Nordic Hydrol. 13, 105–114 (1982).
Wright, R. F. et al. Wat. Air & Soil Pollut. 30, 47–64 (1986).
Wright, R. F. et al. Nature (in the press).
Lotse, E. & Ottabong, E. Physiochemical properties of soils at Risdalsheia and Sogndal: RAIN project (Acid Rain Res. Rep. 8/1985, Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Oslo, 1985).
Gaines, G. L. & Thomas, H. C. J. chem. Phys. 21, 714–718 (1953).
Cosby, B. J. et al. Wat. Resourc. Res. 21, 51–63 (1985).
Cosby, B. J. et al. Wat. Resourc. Res. 21, 1591–1601 (1985).
Wright, R. F. & Cosby, B. J. Atmos. Envir. 21, 727–730 (1987).
Røgeberg, E. J. S. & Henriksen, A. Vatten 41, 48–53 (1985).
Schecher, W. D. & Driscoll, C. T. Wat. Resourc. Res. 23, 525–534 (1987).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wright, R., Norton, S., Brakke, D. et al. Experimental verification of episodic acidification of freshwaters by sea salts. Nature 334, 422–424 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1038/334422a0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/334422a0
This article is cited by
-
Presence and Source Attribution of Airborne Anthropogenic/Non-Sea-Salt Inorganic Chloride Determined by Filter-Pack Method at Eastern Edge in East Asia
Water, Air, & Soil Pollution (2021)
-
Tusen: A thousand lakes in the Norwegian landscape
Ambio (2021)
-
Climate mitigation and intensified forest management in Norway: To what extent are surface waters safeguarded?
Ambio (2020)
-
Experimental simulation of the effects of extreme climatic events on major ions, acidity and dissolved organic carbon leaching from a forested catchment, Gårdsjön, Sweden
Biogeochemistry (2012)
-
Drivers and evolution of episodic acidification at the Bear Brook Watershed in Maine, USA
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment (2010)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.